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Downtown Traffic Light Timing

3,298 Views | 36 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by Bondag
CowtownAg06
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12:44p, 1/31/24
AG
I take Smith in from I10 and Louisiana out most days. The lights used to be timed up really well on those corridors to where I'd only stop once or twice. Now it seems like they cycle to where you only get through one intersection and have to wait again. It backs up so bad that some of the streets to turn (like Walker onto Louisiana) only let one or two cars in per cycle. I leave about 4:30 most days.

Feels like it got much worse in October or so of last year. Has anyone else noticed this?
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TexAg2001
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12:58p, 1/31/24
AG
I don't drive downtown very often, so I cannot comment on your exact situation. However, a few years ago, I noticed the light timing completely changed during my normal route on the south side of Houston. It added 10-15 minutes to my previously 30-minute commute, so it was a pretty significant change.

I wrote an email to TXDoT noting the timing change and highlighting the safety aspects of it....cars were running lights, etc. I was SHOCKED when I got a response the next day, copying the local person in charge, saying they would look into it. 2 days later I saw guys out there working on the lights and the timing was changed back to normal.
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CowtownAg06
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1:15p, 1/31/24
AG
Just a general TXDOT email?
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Ryan the Temp
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1:22p, 1/31/24
AG
METRO Rail caused a lot of the light syncing to be un-done.
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Furlock Bones
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In reply to Ryan the Temp • 1:27p, 1/31/24
AG
Ryan the Temp said:
METRO Rail caused a lot of the light syncing to be un-done.
love when the rail stops across an intersection.
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maroon barchetta
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1:29p, 1/31/24
When I was in high school and my dad and me went downtown to the passport office for a trip I was taking, he showed me that if you go 25-26 mph downtown from the first stoplight you encounter, you will catch green lights the entire way.

It was always a fun trick when cruising with friends or a date into downtown.

I'm sure the city has screwed it up by now.
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Texaggie7nine
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In reply to maroon barchetta • 1:40p, 1/31/24
maroon barchetta said:
When I was in high school and my dad and me went downtown to the passport office for a trip I was taking, he showed me that if you go 25-26 mph downtown from the first stoplight you encounter, you will catch green lights the entire way.

It was always a fun trick when cruising with friends or a date into downtown.

I'm sure the city has screwed it up by now.
This was a regular trip in the 90's for drivers ed instructors and their student drivers all around town.
7nine
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TexAg2001
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In reply to CowtownAg06 • 1:41p, 1/31/24
AG
I went back and found the email I sent...it was more years than I remembered....2013.

My original email went to several folks in the Traffic Operations Division at City of Houston Public Works, including the Deputy Director. I found their email addresses on the City website.

He replied to my email saying my particular intersection was maintained by TXDOT and copied them on it. TXDOT responded within hours saying they would look into it. 2 days after the initial email they sent a response saying they investigated it and there was an issue with one of the control cabinets that had defaulted back to it's original "default timing numbers and impeding progression".

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htxag09
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1:53p, 1/31/24
AG
Galleria area lights are not synced worth a **** either.....

I take Post Oak from 610 to Westheimer and vice versa in the evenings. Seems most days I catch every single red light.
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CowtownAg06
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In reply to Ryan the Temp • 1:58p, 1/31/24
AG
But that's not new. This feels like it was a recent downgrade.
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BMX Bandit
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2:01p, 1/31/24
Quote:
It was always a fun trick when cruising with friends or a date into downtown.


Slaying them ho's with the synced light move.
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maroon barchetta
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In reply to BMX Bandit • 2:34p, 1/31/24
BMX Bandit said:
Quote:
It was always a fun trick when cruising with friends or a date into downtown.


Slaying them ho's with the synced light move.


It was pretty much magic.
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Furlock Bones
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In reply to BMX Bandit • 2:36p, 1/31/24
AG
BMX Bandit said:
Quote:
It was always a fun trick when cruising with friends or a date into downtown.


Slaying them ho's with the synced light move.
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15
CowtownAg06
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2:37p, 1/31/24
AG
Looked around the city website. All I can find is call 311. I'm sure they'll put their top men on it.
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maroon barchetta
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In reply to CowtownAg06 • 2:59p, 1/31/24
CowtownAg06 said:
Looked around the city website. All I can find is call 311. I'm sure they'll put their top men on it.


Who?
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ThunderCougarFalconBird
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In reply to Ryan the Temp • 3:01p, 1/31/24
AG
Ryan the Temp said:
METRO Rail caused a lot of the light syncing to be un-done.
It's a mobile apartment with no rent!

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Ryan the Temp
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In reply to CowtownAg06 • 4:00p, 1/31/24
AG
CowtownAg06 said:
Looked around the city website. All I can find is call 311. I'm sure they'll put their top men on it.
Houston Public Works is run by women.
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P.H. Dexippus
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In reply to Ryan the Temp • 4:53p, 1/31/24
AG
Ryan the Temp said:
CowtownAg06 said:
Looked around the city website. All I can find is call 311. I'm sure they'll put their top men on it.
Houston Public Works is run by women.

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Ag_07
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In reply to BMX Bandit • 5:47p, 1/31/24
AG
BMX Bandit said:
Quote:
It was always a fun trick when cruising with friends or a date into downtown.


Slaying them ho's with the synced light move.

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AgLiving06
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7:51p, 1/31/24
The lights have been pretty ok for me.

What annoys me to no end is how they've turned so many lanes into bus only lanes or you can't be in the second to right lane unless you're in a carpool, etc.

They really seem to hate people coming downtown in their own cars.
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SnowboardAg
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8:19p, 1/31/24
AG
I think the rail screws up the light synchronization - early in the AM, Smith isn't an issue. Anything after 7am and it gets screwed up. Just my observation.
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Forum Troll
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8:25p, 1/31/24
AG
Can I complain to change the lights on highway 6 in mo city so 1 car turning out of Walmart at 730 am doesn't cause a light to turn red for 50+ cars?
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bigjag19
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8:41p, 1/31/24
AG
I commented just last week on the light timing being off. Pierce used to be a breeze now it's stop and go.
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Jugstore Cowboy
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In reply to Ryan the Temp • 8:52p, 1/31/24
AG
Ryan the Temp said:
CowtownAg06 said:
Looked around the city website. All I can find is call 311. I'm sure they'll put their top men on it.
Houston Public Works is run by women.


Looks like one of your predictions about the "resignation" came true.
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maroon barchetta
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In reply to Jugstore Cowboy • 10:29p, 1/31/24
DustysLineup said:
Ryan the Temp said:
CowtownAg06 said:
Looked around the city website. All I can find is call 311. I'm sure they'll put their top men on it.
Houston Public Works is run by women.


Looks like one of your predictions about the "resignation" came true.
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The D
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10:53p, 1/31/24
AG
The light going west on capital street where it tuns into memorial at the corner of Houston is absolutely atrocious. It only stays green for 5 seconds
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Ryan the Temp
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In reply to Jugstore Cowboy • 11:14p, 1/31/24
AG
DustysLineup said:
Ryan the Temp said:
CowtownAg06 said:
Looked around the city website. All I can find is call 311. I'm sure they'll put their top men on it.
Houston Public Works is run by women.


Looks like one of your predictions about the "resignation" came true.
She was a champion of the "road diet" BS - even wrote a book on ways to reduce/eliminate cars in urban cities. All the bike lane people are crapping their pants because it means those sorts of project are probably all DOA now.
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Jugstore Cowboy
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In reply to Ryan the Temp • 12:52a, 2/1/24
Jugstore Cowboy
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12:38p, 2/1/24
AG
Stumbled on this link, if you want to know which agency controls an intersection:

https://traffic.houstontranstar.org/signalmap/
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CDUB98
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4:36p, 2/1/24
AG
One of the few things I miss about Amarillo is that if you needed to drive through downtown, you could time it perfectly and get all green.

Almost always, whether going north or south, a drive will get stopped at the first red light of downtown. If you accelerate modestly, and not like a hoonigan, up to 30 mph (the speed limit), you can drive all the way through downtown without touching the brake or gas....when traffic is light to modest.
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TexAg2001
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In reply to Ryan the Temp • 5:03p, 2/1/24
AG
Ryan the Temp said:
CowtownAg06 said:
Looked around the city website. All I can find is call 311. I'm sure they'll put their top men on it.
Houston Public Works is run by women.
Not sure if you were kidding, but looks like you're right. Veronica Davis is listed as the Director. Clicking on her name gives you this email address: tdo.director@houstontx.gov

Transportation & Drainage Operations | City of Houston - Houston Public Works
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TriAg2010
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8:42p, 2/1/24
AG
Tangential downtown traffic question that I didn't want to start a topic for…

What's up with the police presence most days on the HOV lane out of downtown onto I-10? Seems like 3-4 motorcycle police each day with at least on person pulled over. Nabbing HOV cheaters? Can't imagine it would be productive to run the same sting day after day, but maybe I'm overestimating my community.
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AlaskanAg99
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9:43p, 2/1/24
AG
I leave downtown at 330. Not too bad.
This week I've left at 4 and 5pm and I wanted to shoot myself in the head. Debating moving to 4 10s, but that traffic 4 days a week will drive me insane.

Yesterday saw something new. From downtown and west on 10, there was a cop car on the left side of the freeway, lights on, no one pulled over.

What the hell was that all about?
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Ryan the Temp
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In reply to TriAg2010 • 1:20p, 2/2/24
AG
TriAg2010 said:
Tangential downtown traffic question that I didn't want to start a topic for…

What's up with the police presence most days on the HOV lane out of downtown onto I-10? Seems like 3-4 motorcycle police each day with at least on person pulled over. Nabbing HOV cheaters? Can't imagine it would be productive to run the same sting day after day, but maybe I'm overestimating my community.
HOV cheaters and expired registration
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bigjag19
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In reply to TriAg2010 • 1:27p, 2/2/24
AG
You are way overestimating
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