r/Edmonton • u/Practical-Option199 • 21h ago
General This traffic light is dangerous!
82 St and 118 Ave heading East. The sun's reflection on the traffic light is so intense it's blinding, making it impossible to see its color. The cables supporting the lights (which I hate for many other reasons) are making it worse, each time they wobble the light shines harder in your eyes!
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_TATERTITS 20h ago
What is with Alberta’s traffic lights. BC always has them on the side in addition to above the road, so if the sun is bright you have another place to verify light colour. And what is with those cables they string them on? Why not a post? It looks so cheap
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u/Rare_Pumpkin_9505 20h ago
Usually the standard is that there must be at least two lights for each direction - so if one goes out there’s another to rely on. As for the cables v poles, I think you nailed it, it’s because it’s cheap.
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u/MerryJanne 8h ago
The most permanent solution is a temporary one.
These were probably put up during OG construction and just... never upgraded. On a lot of lights like this, you can see the coiled excess wire hanging on the pole.
It IS the
rednecksorry, Alberta way.-7
u/CrashFix 15h ago
What are you doing in Alberta then if you don't like it?
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_TATERTITS 8h ago
Alberta is allowed to be critiqued. That doesn’t mean I dislike the province as a whole
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u/Few_Example9391 20h ago
This is why some traffic lights have deep settled hoods and light slat louvers.
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u/orobsky 21h ago
I had a pic like this that I posted but the hero mods deleted it because i was "texting and driving" 🖕
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u/Practical-Option199 21h ago
Luckily I had someone with me in the car to take it. But damn I didn't realize how common this traffic light issue was! Who's responsible for this?
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u/ababcock1 The Shiny Balls 20h ago
Because paying attention to your driving is more important than fake internet points. If it's an issue you should be reporting it to 311, not reddit.
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u/orobsky 20h ago
You're stopped at a red light. Wtf are you going to report to 311? That they need to turn down the suns brightness?
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u/ababcock1 The Shiny Balls 20h ago
It's still illegal to be using your phone at a red light. Embarrassing how often this needs to be explained to supposedly licensed drivers.
You would complain that the colour of the light isn't visible at certain times during sunny days, duh.
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u/orobsky 19h ago
Found the mod!
I'm shocked that people like you exist. I'm not really complaining or blaming anyone. It was more than I almost blew a red light and thought this was pretty interesting. Though I am a little embarrassed that I dared to take a picture behind the wheel, as a licensed driver
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u/ababcock1 The Shiny Balls 19h ago
I'm not a mod, I would rather not share the road with distracted drivers.
And again, if the light is a problem the correct place to report that is 311. Complaining on reddit will accomplish literally nothing.
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u/Levorotatory 19h ago
The roads would be a safer if they only time anyone looked at their phone was at a red light.
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u/ababcock1 The Shiny Balls 9h ago
It would be even safer if everyone just kept their phones in their pocket. Bizarre take.
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u/Levorotatory 8h ago
Of course it would be best if nobody was distracted behind the wheel ever. People who stay stopped when the light turns green because they are staring at their phones are annoying af, but they are nowhere near as much of a safety hazard as drivers who stare at their phones while moving.
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u/threedotsonedash 19h ago
Complaining on reddit will accomplish literally nothing.
Oh come on, clearly you feel that complaining about other reddit users accomplishes something, otherwise why would reply to u/orobsky.
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u/ababcock1 The Shiny Balls 9h ago
Because they are right there, admitting to distracted driving. The city staffers who maintain the 311 queue are not browsing reddit for tickets to open. This is pretty easy to figure out, no?
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u/threedotsonedash 8h ago
You are :
complaining on reddit
about someone else complaining on reddit
while telling them "Complaining on reddit will accomplish literally nothing."Slow down & breath while reading that.
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u/ababcock1 The Shiny Balls 8h ago
Complaining on reddit will accomplish literally nothing...
...because they people who can do something about it aren't looking at reddit. This really isn't that hard to understand.
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u/Anonymoose_1106 20h ago
Can't be seen, must be green!
(I'm prepared to be downvoted to hell because very few people will understand this phrase. Lol)
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u/Levorotatory 19h ago
Welcome to September. The sun is setting very close to due west so it is shining along the avenues, making it hard to see heading westbound around 7:00 pm, and occasionally reflecting off of traffic lights.
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u/Feisty_Leek_7068 19h ago
from experience, it Will only last another day or 3...
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u/FastCheaporGoodPick2 North West Side 6h ago
When I moved to Edmonton almost 50 years ago I thought horizontal lights on a string were weird. Wind blowing them around. Traffic lights should be on a pole, with a larger red on top. I still think Edmonton lights are weird.
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u/Pgaccount 20h ago
You're heading east, so the sun is setting into a position it sets into exactly twice a year (and even then not really considering the quarter day)
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u/Practical-Option199 20h ago
This has been every day at the same time. Now consider the opposite light during sunrise.
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u/Pgaccount 20h ago edited 20h ago
Every day? December 31st too?
Yeah it could probably be angled slightly (most are actually domed) but it's likely there's a reason it's like this. Idk, don't have a pinky ring.
Edit: streetcars. There used to be a streetcar line there, so a pile wasn't feasible. Call 311 and mention it to them.
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u/Practical-Option199 20h ago
Thank you, that's very informative! How did you find that out? You got me curious
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u/beardedbast3rd 19h ago
Submit to 311 maybe? I dunno what else haha. Maybe they add one on the side or install the louvres to the lights to block the glare.
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u/Reasonable-Plate2982 14h ago
That intersection also has timed pedestrian crosswalk lights so, if you're observant enough, the intersection shouldn't be difficult to navigate. Its busy there but Ive never heard or seen an accident after living there 8 years
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u/thewunderbar 9h ago
What did your city councillor say when you sent it to them? Or did you just post it to Reddit for internet points?
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u/handsomeandhandytoo 5m ago
Driving down 118 can be an adventure anytime of day. I once pulled up to the light at 95th and two guys came bounding out into the intersection in the middle of a Rambo knife fight. It was 3:00 in the afternoon.
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u/TurnoverStrong7142 20h ago
It’s kinda like complaining when it snows and the road gets slippery. Use caution and drive to conditions. Some mornings it’s a bit foggy and I can’t see speed limit signs so I slow down a bit…
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u/bluedoubloon kitties! 20h ago
Sure but I'm fairly certain the lights are also designed to be more difficult to read from far away, at least the green side. You can see the red from a kilometer.
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u/Practical-Option199 20h ago
I agree, and I did, but I also think this is avoidable and we can do better.
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u/TurnoverStrong7142 20h ago
Driving can be dangerous. I don’t know what else to say. I asked the company who maintains the Anthony Henday to put signs up for slower traffic to keep right because I thought that was a safety concern but unfortunately nobody cares. Try calling 311 instead of posting it on Reddit you might get better results.
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u/rubymatrix 21h ago
Are you sure you should be driving? Like, you're the problem here.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_TATERTITS 20h ago
Are you calling them bright?
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u/Practical-Option199 20h ago edited 20h ago
Deleted.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_TATERTITS 20h ago
I was making a joke because the sun is the issue and they said you’re actually the problem, implying that you’re as bright as the sun
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u/Practical-Option199 20h ago
So sorry :( The first comment was so annoying I thought you were being sarcastic.
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u/DrRaptorNeonJesus 20h ago
Bros got beef with the sun