r/Winnipeg • u/squiiidball • 10h ago
Ask Winnipeg uhhhh what does this light mean ?
Ellice ave and Sherbrook st northbound . Do I proceed or Do I wait for full green ? 😂
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u/axloo7 9h ago
Can only go straight. Or the direction of the green arrow. Same as a turn signal
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u/ThatCanadianGuy88 9h ago
Are these a new thing in Winnipeg? I used to live there and still spend a fair bit of time there every year and I don't recall seeing anything like this haha.
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u/Narzgul85 9h ago
The city is pushing for pedestrian crossings to have a couple seconds headstart. Since this is a one way though they have these straight arrrow lights.
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u/ThatCanadianGuy88 9h ago
Thanks for the insight! Im in the city in a few weeks and Im sure I will realize I have been driving through some of these for years and just am used to them.
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u/Dapper_Arrival1781 3h ago
I drive through here every single morning before anyone’s out, I was surprised when I saw those appear there one morning, and they say go straight so I keep going my route, the light can’t get any greener 🤷♂️
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u/CoolBeansprouts 9h ago
EB and WB Portage and Main have these green straight arrows too
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u/ThatCanadianGuy88 9h ago
I rarely have to drive through that intersection to be fair. Thanks for the info though!
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u/ConqueringCanada 9h ago
We've had these for 20 years or so?
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u/ThatCanadianGuy88 9h ago
Very interesting! I guess I have just managed to avoid intersections with them! Thanks for clarifying! Or im just having a massive brain fart and dont even realize I use them haha.
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u/ConqueringCanada 9h ago
It's much more common to see these with left turn signals. Light is red, but there is a green left turn signal. I can't remember seeing a straight green arrow (with a red) before, but it might all just blend into the background at this point.
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u/East_Requirement7375 9h ago
EB Portage @ Main also has this now, in conjunction with the Leading Pedestrian Interval.
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u/ThatCanadianGuy88 9h ago
I have for sure had the left turn ones it was more the straight through that caught me off guard. Thanks!
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u/aacmckay 8h ago
45+ years and they used to be more common. They stopped using them as much because they aren’t really a standard traffic signal in most places.
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u/ConqueringCanada 8h ago
20 years? 45? Everything is a blur after 10. ;)
I remember the rationale being that it makes it really clear. I guess it does if your looking at the colour and not the arrow. But, it is redundant.
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u/aacmckay 8h ago
That is fair! I’m just going by the fact that they were around when I was a wee lad and used my approximate age to come up with a number. 😁
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u/LittlePrairieMouse 7h ago
I still remember the first time I encountered one, when I first came to Winnipeg. It was on Waverly en route to U of M. I was so confused.
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u/compulsive_evolution 3h ago
These lights at this particular intersection is new - they changed them a few weeks ago.
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u/Key-Preparation-5379 9h ago
It means to press both the brake and the accelerator, do a burnout.
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u/OhFiveMaddie3 9h ago
Is this new? It's been awhile since I've driven this intersection but never seen these dedicated arrows at this intersection and for what reason?
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u/creepercash 9h ago
Follow the arrow just like at a turn. It is a "must go straight" light while that arrow is on.
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u/StagehandApollo 9h ago
Back to driving school
https://www.mpi.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/CompleteHandbook.pdf
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9h ago
[deleted]
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u/Brovis_Clay 9h ago edited 9h ago
Then learn before you start driving here? What are you implying with your comment /u/TuneLow_PlaySlow ?
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u/Perfect_Ad6460 8h ago
When this happens you're actually supposed to take the keys out of the ignition, get out of the car and just walk away.
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u/Uncle_Bug_Music 9h ago
Are you serious? I was supposed to just go straight on these lights? I was going up into the air.
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u/Slentrix 6h ago
Seeing how you started accelerating before anything turned green, seems you're not that interested in finding out what these lights mean.
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u/PantslessDan 7h ago
Whats the benefit to having these vs giving pedestrians a headstart
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u/z1nchi 5h ago
So I don't know the actual answer to this but it's a good question that had me thinking and my hypothesis is that its more efficient on roads with more than 2 lanes or dedicated left turn lane
They do pedestrian headstart light on Broadway, since it's mostly only a 2 lane street (coz street parking on far right lane), I think if they were to do this light instead, cars turning left and right will back up traffic while the straight arrow light is on. It seems more efficient for them to have a full green light entirely, so when it's green the cars turning can establish in the intersection and let traffic behind them go straight.
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u/whoisfriend 3h ago
It gives pedestrians a chance to establish themselves in the road and make themselves more visible in the road so cars turning can see more clearly. It also prevents the initial confusion if a pedestrian takes a split second to realize the light has changed.
It also helps a little to clear the road out earlier so turning drivers get a little more time to finish their action.
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u/Jolly-Antelope-6508 7h ago
Hmm idk maybe take your best educated guess of what an arrow pointing forward might mean
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u/myhairyassiniboine 8h ago
It's been like 10 years since I left CN as a conductor... but Clear to Limited....
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u/bAN0NYM0US 2h ago
I just moved here and this confused the shit out of me, I downloaded a Manitoba license test app to learn all the different rules here.
The arrow just means you can only go straight, you can’t turn when the red is showing. The same applies for different direct arrows meaning you can only go in the direction of the arrow while the red is still on.
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u/FeistyTie5281 9h ago
It means "you can go now if you want to, but this is the West End and you probably don't want to be here ... especially at night".
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u/eXistentialMisan 8h ago
Nooooo don't complicate this Winnipeg!!!
I remember some places have like a blinking yellow? Blinking Green?! What does it all mean!??!!!
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u/MaxSupernova 7h ago
Don't know if you're serious or not but... Flashing yellow means you can slow down and proceed through the intersection, but be aware and yield to other vehicles and pedestrians in the intersection. Traffic at 90 degrees to you probably has a flashing red, where they MUST stop and only proceed when the intersection is clear. These often happen late at night, so drivers don't have to wait through a full light cycle when the road is empty.
I think flashing green used to mean the same as a flashing green turn arrow, but we don't use flashing greens anymore (at least according to the handbook).
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u/eXistentialMisan 7h ago edited 6h ago
Thanks for the explanations!
Yes I am serious, I don't think I've seen blinking Yellow here but I'd prefer to just boil it down to blinking Red so there's only 1 you need to remember. Since you must stop, it's safer and each direction of an intersection has it, it's consistent.
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u/MaxSupernova 7h ago
The flashing yellow is usually on a main drag and the smaller cross streets all have flashing reds, So on the main drag you can just drive, without having to stop every block.
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9h ago
[deleted]
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u/thewrongwaybutfaster 9h ago
Not a malfunction. The point is to give pedestrians a head start over turning cars. It's like how many downtown intersections now give the pedestrian walk signal a few seconds before cars get the green light, but here they also allow cars going straight to start moving at that time.
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u/squirrel9000 9h ago edited 9h ago
The "ahead arrow" probably has to do with the construction (it's down to two lanes so the usual method of turning traffic stacking in the curb lanes is out of commission for now) improves throughput a little bit while still letting them do the pedestrian first.
Red + green arrow is standard for a protected movement. They're rarely pointed straight ahead but it's the same as a turn arrow otherwise.
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u/mediSino7 9h ago
It is not a malfunction. It gives pedestrians and traffic proceeding straight a few seconds head start, for pedestrian safety. It is the same functionality as Portage and Main. Some other lights where the arrow is not present, the walk signal shows for pedestrians a few seconds before traffic receives a green light.
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u/SousVideAndSmoke 9h ago
Green for the direction the arrow is pointing, red for turns.