The Monday Morning Commute: Ask Traffic Engineer Paul Basha: What’s The Deal With Traffic Signals That Flash Yellow Or Red In The Wee Wee Hours?

By Paul Basha, traffic engineer, Summit Land Management What’s the deal with traffic signals that flash yellow or red in the wee wee hours? Thirty years ago or so, in more rural areas in the Great Lake and Atlantic Coast states, during very early morning hours, traffic signals would not show the typical red-yellow-green, but would […]
The Monday Morning Commute: Ask Traffic Engineer Paul Basha: When A Driver Enters An Intersection On A Yellow Light, Are They Legally Required To Clear The Intersection Before The Light Turns Red?

By Paul Basha, traffic engineer, Summit Land Management When a driver enters an intersection on a yellow light, are they legally required to clear the intersection before the light turns red? Yes or no – depends on the state. Yellow lights first appeared in 1920, invented by a police officer, when the first three-color traffic signal […]
The Monday Morning Commute: Ask Traffic Engineer Paul Basha: Traffic Flow Continues To Be Better. Has The Corona Virus Resulted In Significant Traffic Pattern Changes? If So, Is It Permanent?

By Paul Basha, traffic engineer, Summit Land Management Traffic Flow Continues To Be Better. Has The Corona Virus Resulted In Significant Traffic Pattern Changes? If So, Is It Permanent? Yes. Likely. First some historic data. National Public Radio, Morning Edition, Marketplace Morning Report, on Wednesday 2 September, discussed this topic. They referenced the 2019 Urban […]
The Monday Morning Commute: Ask Traffic Engineer Paul Basha: Right-Turn Lanes Should Be Everywhere! Any Good Reason They Are Not?

By Paul Basha, traffic engineer, Summit Land Management Like all things traffic, there’s always the good, the bad. (Extra points for anyone who did not think “and the ugly”.) Right-turn lanes are great for cars turning right, and for cars following them. Though not always the right choice. (So that’s the reason we say right-hand […]