I disagree...
 

The traffic is worse now than before. Bruinsfan did not start this thread because it was only a marginal improvement.

How someone at the Fed level, who probably has never been on Rt3. in Meredith, can dictate how Meredith needs to solve it's local traffic/pedestrian dilemma is bizarre.

Thanks for the HAWK info. A quick web search shows the the confusion is pretty well-known and documented. I disagree (politely, of course) with you that the blinking red is the major problem at the Town Docks, though in fairness it does seem to be the one most quoted complaint the literature that I saw.

It appears to me that the main issue here in Meredith is that drivers in a pedestrian-heavy tourist area - in a place that is not familiar to them - will very frequently assume that a brightly-painted crosswalk is a pedestrian right-of-way. Even folks who think that it isn't the case might stop anyway just to be safe - more to avoid a ticket that an accident.

I may be mistaken, but I am under the impression that pedestrians have the right of way at the identically painted crosswalks on Main St?

Given the HAWK requirement I suspect we'll just all have to live with it. I do think it seems better than it was.

-jim

My wife stopped at the blinking red this morning AND some pedestrians walked out without waiting for the light. I rescind my comment above about it not being a problem.

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Put up some signs! How hard is that?

I cross that walk way every weekend and even though I push the button and wait for the walk sign people stop before it turns red. I usually wave them on but some people just walk right out.

A good idea...
 

The new system is a great idea, but from what I see there are too many motorists who are too nice or not aware of the procedure and stop to let pedestrians cross anytime one is close to the crossing. Hopefully with time people will get used to an understand the new crosswalk.

You must stop if someone jumps into the crosswalk. Do you all believe that you would not be held responsible if you hit the jaywalker? If you can see the individual you must stop. The responsibility should be the Meredith police. Ticket the jaywalkers. I suggest you have a Saturday traffic detail instead of the lights during the summer months


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I’m betting federal $ we’re used in some way, shape, or form to design, purchase, or install the crosswalk. Take federal $ and you have to play by their rules. Most often I find myself scratching my head after I read them. I live by the rule that, if they make sense after I’ve read them, I’ve obviously misunderstood something.


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cheap fix
 

Maybe there should be a yellow line set back a bit from the road and a sign for pedestrians to "Stand behind Yellow Line and wait for crossing light".

Of course and I absolutely agree drivers have to be aware and stop. However, what I see (happened Sunday as I was headed home) is motorists who stop before pedestrians are in the crosswalk and wave them along.

So you are angry at people for being nice to others, and people call me a grumpy bastard


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Not angry at all - what I see people doing causes confusion for both pedestrians (who are waiting for the light but encouraged to cross) and for the cars going in the other direction, who are not stopping because there is no red light.

I agree with the idea of a pedestrian bridge. I contacted the town offices yesterday to see what if anything is being done as I am a year round resident that needs to get through town on a daily basis. In short, there is no plan to change up traffic patterns or rectify.

It took a solid 15 minutes to get through town from inter lakes school and this is a regular occurrence.

the real lesson from all this is not to take federal money for a local project.

This is what I see also. Pedestrians push the button and wait on the sidewalk for the light but cars automatically stop before the light turns red to let people cross. Sometimes people will wait for the signal, usually people with kids, but other times people will just cross when cars stop. And if people cross before the signal then the light turns red and no one is crossing because they are already on the other side.
It's very confusing for everyone involved. :confused:
I think the only solution now is to have a traffic officer at that light during the busiest times.

They had traffic people there during the busy season. This was their cost savings alternative.
Just add a green light that goes to yellow before pedestrians cross and red while crossing. A regular traffic signal. It’s not rocket science


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If I remember correctly there’s only a small Stop on Red sign next to the red lights on the cross beam. That doesn’t say enough.

The problem is that traffic laws were designed for a reason.

If there is a signal at a crosswalk or intersection you have to obey the signal and should not stop to let people cross, just obey the signal. The problems occur when people think they are being polite and stand on the brakes in the middle of nowhere because they see someone who may want to cross the street. This causes people behind them to panic stop and is a lot less safe than just having the pedestrians wait for the traffic to go by.

When the pedestrians know the law they will sometimes wave the stopping vehicle on and wait for their turn. Many people in vehicles are oblivious to other vehicles around them and the problems they cause by their operation.

Hey wait! I see that in boats in the Weirs Channel too! Maybe "common sense" is not all that common?

Three of us pushed the button to cross, and waved cars through who stopped as we waited for the light. One driver yelled out his window at us “@$$holes!” Nice!


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We all recognize there's a problem. Hopefully the town does also.
I have a house in town so as a driver I know how to avoid that area but as a pedestrian you can't avoid it if you want to get to the waterfront.

A car might stop but there's no assurance the cars going the other way will so it's real life Frogger. Short term a bunch of signs might help some but on a busy weekend I bet a large number of drivers are going through there for the first and maybe only time ever. Learning is not going to be enough.

...the big city comes to Meredith
 

For years and years, drivers here have always stopped to let a waiting pedestrian cross in the crosswalk.

Now, with this 'hawk' walking signal, if you stop for a waiting pedestrian you get honked at by the car behind you.

Meredith is a long way from Manhattan, but now drivers act like its downtown New York City.

To those who honk, you ever hear that courtesy counts, and it pays to be polite.

pedestrian crosswalk light is not the only issue there , what about the two lanes that merge into one on the north side of the crosswalk ,, merge signage is fully hidden by overgrown tree but the right lane has right of way for merging there but the ones in the left lane (closest to double yellow line ) are by the signage suppose to merge to the right but they don't !!! and they will honk at the ones in the right lane like they are doing something wrong , I just smile and wave when Im being honked at !!!!!!!!

Sounds like the whole thing is a Fuster cluck...

this. two left lanes do not make the traffic go faster since there is a merge almost as soon as you get around the corner which means a lot of braking and dodging, then add in the crosswalk.

No, is not quite like that ..... at the crosswalk, there is ONE lane for travel in both directions.....plus a CENTER lane that's only one block long, the length of the town docks parking lot ..... and this center lane gets very little use, is usually empty and is basically a turning lane for cars going south that want to take a left turn into the town docks parking lot, or for car going north that wants to take a left up hilly Dover St to get to Main St.

For someone who has to go to New York City every weekend (work related), I find this topic quite amusing. But I understand, people around here aren't always accustomed to traffic delays.

A HAWK signal was installed on 3A in Bow (where Grappone is). It is the most confusing signal I have ever come across in ~40 years of driving. I understand traffic signals, and that when a red light is blinking you can go if it is safe. But this one, with the alternating red flashing lights...what the heck do you do? Well now I know, from reading this thread. But it is just so strange. Not sure why that type of signal is preferred by the traffic guys over a plain old normal stop light.

Almost 70 posts about a traffic signal...
 

That statistic by itself shows massive confusion over what should be something very simple...Shouldn't traffic signals be very simple?

Lots of very simple people driving....

Maybe they need something like railroad gates to stop people from crossing and then dropping to stop cars and raising to let people cross. One thing I’ve learned is some people don’t read signs (or don’t care) and most people are courteous and will stop for people to cross (except for Montreal, New York, Boston, etc)


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multiple lanes
 

Actually, multiple lanes to get through a light with a later merge do, in fact, increase flow through the light since too many people are too slow to get moving when a light turns green. The merge later is usually pretty efficient as long as people are exercising normal courtesy. I have studied traffic analysis and intersection design in a former life.

Courtesy is not universal. Last week I did experience a jerk (black diesel pickup) who was on his phone in the left lane and left a huge gap in front of him when the light turned green. I was in right lane and got to the merge well ahead of him and was doing the alternating merge when he roared up and forced his way in ahead. Whatever. We're "at the lake" everybody. Relax. Being a jerk to get 20' ahead is dumb. The case of the pedestrians who got cursed for waiting their turn is another example of how we're losing it as a "society".

I agree with a normal merge but this is a special case. If the crosswalk is red both lanes stop and the cars stack up close together and back up into the intersection.

For years we have been programmed to stand on the brakes as soon as a pedestrian approaches the crosswalk. There is not going to be a solution to this until the light is synched, a gate is added, there is a bridge or worst, move the whole thing up to the Lake St intersection and put in a whole traffic light system

Who gave Meredith permission to put a Pedestrian Crosswalk LIGHT up across a Major New Hampshire Highway? It almost seems not legal. Yes, pedestrians have to wait for the walk light to go at TRAFFIC LIGHTS. However this is not Traffic light, so did Meredith over step their boundaries? No dog in the fight, just a curious by-stander, not looking to use the cross walk.

What?
 

Wait? The right lane is losing its lane and must merge into the existing single lane or as you say left. Since when does the merging traffic have the right of way?

Which is actually a Federal Highway, US Route 3.

Went past today...
 

A car with Mass plates, two cars in front, stopped at the crosswalk with no traffic lights on and no pedestrians. The car in front of me, NH plates, started blowing the horn like crazy. The car behind me, NH plates, then chimed in.

I'm sittin' in the middle with California plates wondering if I should join the locals and thrash the ignorant Flatlander...I didn't, but had to wonder if the car in front and the one behind were Forum members doing some educatin'...I wasn't in a hurry. :rolleye2:

Even though it's part of the U.S. road system which means it travels through more than one state, the NH section is owned and maintained by the State of New Hampshire. The MA section is owned and maintained by the State of Massachusetts.

Okay, so did New Hampshire give permission to do that?

Between the new stop light and the merge issue, this road must be one of the most dangerous ones in Amerika.

Is this a joke? the "c" and the "k" are not close to each other.

AMERICA...love it or leave it...or:fire: at least spell it correctly.:patriot: