I am sorry, but I laugh at this. Do we really need a yellow light for the yellow light? I thought the point of the red light cameras was to help stop red light runners (which it has). Now I think this idea to have flashing beacons to tell if you will or will not make it thru the light before it turns red is stupid. All its going to do is give the public something to try and beat, which in mind is not healthy.
Now if we are going to do something stupid like this, why not do what they do in Mexico. In Mexico (at least the parts I've been in), when the light is about to turn yellow, the green light flashes about 3 to 5 seconds before changing to the yellow light. Now to me that makes a hell of a lot more sense then having to build whole sets of flashing beacons at lights. Really, all it should be is a simple logic update to the lights to make them flash a few seconds before changing to yellow.
So lets see, savings to the general public (tax payers). For the beacons, about $5,000 to $10,000 per approch, with 2 approches per intersection with red light cameras, that is about $10,000 to $20,000 per intersection. For all 15 intersections that would cost around $150,000 to $300,000. For the logic upgrade, my best guess is that it would be aroud $500 to $1,000 per intersection since the logic upgrade would effect all directions. So for all 15 intersections, it would cost around $7,500 to $15,000.
Now there is still one option we have not looked at, and this is always an option when you are talking about value engenering. That is the "do nothing" option. Now this option would not cost anything and like the name says, it would do nothing.
Really, I am a fan of the red light cameras as they do their job. Also now since they catch people who speed, they do more then there job and I am ok with it. Its not big brother watching, its not the goverment going too far. Its a city trying to keep there city safe and catching people who are breaking laws.
