This unusual square tube "T style" double mast arm - 5:08 - has gone, recently replaced by typical Calgary single mast arm on the right with solitary vertical double red left turn signal on the median. I'd have replaced by using a standard modern unpainted octagonal/hexagonal metal pole with double mast arms set up just like the old square tube T style version!
Agree with that, the nearside signals also would need the arrows fitted, not just the ones on the far end of intersection! A future upgrade could see extra mast arms, for the side street, bolted on next to the existing mast arms without requiring both nearside & farside signals.
Some bad news here - the unique Calgary permissive turn signalling - 1:16 - has been phased out in favor of the red or green light displaying at the same time, no longer the green arrow on its own. Shame really. Probably due to standardization of signalling policy across AB/Canada or some new traffic manager having relocated from East not liking it and had it removed or Calgary, over the years, has seen a lot of newcomers moving in who may not be familiar with the signalling so it might have made sense to standardize to be same as Edmonton, Lethbridge etc.
Whenever I see a flashing green, whether solid or arrow, I just think that light is tripping acid, because there is no way such a thing would happen normally lol.
Between the US / Canada border crossing at Armstrong PQ and St Georges de la Beauce, the first traffic signal along route PQ 173 is in Saint-Côme-Linière. The first time I visited in July 2016, there were signals with the square red lights. When I returned in August 2021, the red and yellow lights were round. Protected turns had the green lights flashing, but were steady for permitted turns (yield to oncoming traffic) I think the square red lights still remain in Wendat, northwest of downtown Quebec City.
That very last intersection is so confusing. You are making a left turn, but the green arrow directly in front of you is not for your lane. Oh no. You have to look to the left outside your lane. It’s crazy. It makes it look like people are stopped in the middle of the street on a green light. The USA’s system is simpler and more straightforward than this.
Lol, I can see what you mean there! Most intersections in QC are like that, Quebecois are probably used to it? In Montreal City, which is separately administered, the left turn signal head will be directly in front of you - vertical and lower down in AB-SK style (without the double red) - this would depend on the city/province's traffic manual policy
Yellow signal heads? Horizontal mounting? Double-red left-turn signals? You know, if it weren’t for the yellow backplates and the flashing green arrows, I’d almost say that Alberta ripped off Texas’ signal design!
Calgary's, yes, similiar to Texas's setup also Saskatchewan, except Regina, also uses this setup. There are local variations as Alberta provincial standard including Edmonton is generally all black which Calgary, Airdrie & Medicine Hat are yellow. If I can recall, San Antonio TX is mostly vertical and some TX cities have double red arrows instead of ball aspects. Thanks for your comment!
Nearly all of the Alberta left turn signals have double reds, not just that intersection, in case you didn't notice :-) Few examples of many include - 01:34, 07:15, 10:45
I've asked this before and never got a solid answer, what is the point of flashing the green arrow? I know what it means, an I'm aware of the flashing green ball, but why not a steady green arrow like Ontario or the United States?
My interpretation is that it tells you it's for a limited time, shorter than the other signals facing your current direction (e.g. signal for going straight ahead).
More to do with historical reasons. A solid green arrow may still require yielding to pedestrians (actively being deprecated in Canada), while a flashing green arrow indicated total right-of-way. Also, historically, prior to the 1990s, yellow arrows were rare and didn't have the same meaning as today. In the olden days, the combination of a red light with a yellow right arrow meant that you could turn right on red where it was otherwise prohibited.
In Canada we use a solid Green in are turn lanes that’s indicating a yield to pedestrians and traffic before turning so a flashing green arrow indicates no yielding
BC also uses steady green arrows for protected left turns only. ON & QC are mostly steady GAs too though there are also FGAs in local setups like Montreal City in QC and Durham Region in ON. In most other provinces it seems FGAs are more widespread than steady GAs.
