Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.

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GEODGC
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Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.

Post by GEODGC »

Has anyone else ever noticed this set of lights just before you get to the roundabout at the Blue Star Garage in Stevenston. They sit just before the turning into Kilwinning Rd/Hillcrest Dr as you are coming from Hawkhill cemetery direction. They are permenantly at green and have no button to press for people to use them as a crossing. Every time I pass them I shake my head at how ridiculous they are, they literally serve no purpose at all.
Next time you pass that area, have a look and see what I mean :)
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Re: Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.

Post by Retsum »

I'm not familiar with the area but you mention a cemetery. Could it be they are brought into use to allow a funeral procession to pass without being split up?
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bonzo
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Re: Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.

Post by bonzo »

Past these lights on numerous occasions always assumed they were for folk crossing tae either bus stop.
Those wimin were in the nip.
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Re: Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.

Post by michaelm »

Here's a couple of stills I took from google street view maps.

I'm fairly sure this first pic is of the Traffic lights you speak of here GEO.
This is looking towards Ardeer Filling Station (The Blue Star Garage) They do look a bit pointless as there's no Ped. crossing there. Maybe something to do with the short access rd/lane that allows traffic on the right to cross the carriageway and enter the Kilwinning rd. housing estate on the left? As you say though, if they're always on Green then what's the point?
Image

And a couple of hundred yards further back from there, there is actually another set of lights but this time to allow pedestrians to cross.
Image
Last edited by michaelm on Sat May 07, 2016 12:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.

Post by Hughie »

michaelm wrote:Maybe something to do with the short access rd. that allows traffic on the right to cross the carriageway and enter the Kilwinning rd. housing estate on the left?
That appears to be it, Michael. That access road you mention is short and if perhaps around four cars wanted to turn into that housing estate, the last might block the roundabout, I'd imagine the lights would then be activated automatically prior to this.
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bonzo
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Re: Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.

Post by bonzo »

Cycled past them today I was thinking of the ones nearest the cemetery.
Those wimin were in the nip.
GEODGC
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Re: Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.

Post by GEODGC »

Hughie wrote:
michaelm wrote:Maybe something to do with the short access rd. that allows traffic on the right to cross the carriageway and enter the Kilwinning rd. housing estate on the left?
That appears to be it, Michael. That access road you mention is short and if perhaps around four cars wanted to turn into that housing estate, the last might block the roundabout, I'd imagine the lights would then be activated automatically prior to this.
Nah, they are never at red...ever. I pass there every day several times. If you look closely, there is a further single light but only on the right hand side???
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Re: Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.

Post by stivis »

Some traffic light use a sensor that picks up engine impulse given that it's on the main road there will be virtually constant impulses
two examples of where an "on demand" type of system is the Market Bar in Kilwinning it you're coming down Dalry Road to Stevenston and the lights are Red rev up your engine and they change
Similar were the old lights at the Nylon Plant Road to Kilwinning
you used to be able to detect this system by a sensor at the top of the lights,BUT as things progressed it was able to be hidden within the light assembly or under the road surface which is an update of the old rubber cable on the road surface
I don't see why it is not still the same system employed
This area was awash with that type of system
If you don't believe me try it the next time a set of lights are red
GEODGC
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Re: Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.

Post by GEODGC »

Yes, I'm aware such systems exist. It's not the case here though, I've seen plenty of cars having to wait on a gap in the traffic to get across. Even if it were the case-what purpose does the second, single light serve??
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Re: Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.

Post by Retsum »

That single light could be very useful. If you stop at the white line it is difficult to see when the lights change because they too are at that line. A repeater set of lights a few feet away solves the problem.
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Re: Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.

Post by michaelm »

Retsum wrote:If you stop at the white line it is difficult to see when the lights change because they too are at that line. A repeater set of lights a few feet away solves the problem.
I fully understand where you're coming from there Retsum, but a far simpler and more cost effective solution would have been to either paint the white line a yard or so further back, or have the first traffic light on the right situated a yard further away from the line.

As GEODGC has stated, it certainly looks like a very odd set-up.
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Re: Pointless Lights Just Before The Blue Star Garage.

Post by chriso »

Solved.
Dear Mr Olsen,

I would like to thank you for your query regarding the traffic signals on Kilwinning Road, Stevenston near to Hayocks Roundabout.

The signals in question were installed some time ago as part of the bus lane works on Kilwinning Road.
Their purpose is to prevent traffic building up in the right turn lane coming from Hayocks Roundabout turning into the Hillcrest Drive estate.
If traffic built up, it could quite easily block Hayocks Roundabout and it was deemed important to make sure this did not happen.

I hope this information is of assistance.

Yours sincerely,

Heather McRobb
Idiot - seeks village.
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