SC (temporarily) stops NCAP

[dr. d]

parang some of the countdown timers along taft ave manila, aren't functioning today...
or am i just imagining things? sometimes i can't seem to trust my senses anymore...

[baludoy]

^ Even the traffic lights along the buendia ave- taft ave intersection have been replaced with the blinking ones. Same case with the coastal road /Roxas Blvd - NAIA road intersection.

[dr. d]

^ Even the traffic lights along the buendia ave- taft ave intersection have been replaced with the blinking ones. Same case with the coastal road /Roxas Blvd - airport road intersection.

so i am wondering, why?
common sense says that knowing the entire 30 or 60 seconds is superior to the blinking last five seconds, planning-to-cross-or-not-to-cross-wise...
but my question is, "why are our authorities agreeing to this!"

[falken]

so i am wondering, why?
common sense says that knowing the entire 30 or 60 seconds is superior to the blinking last five seconds, planning-to-cross-or-not-to-cross-wise...
but my question is, "why are our authorities agreeing to this!"

Pwede nayan mentality.

[oj88]

so i am wondering, why?
common sense says that knowing the entire 30 or 60 seconds is superior to the blinking last five seconds, planning-to-cross-or-not-to-cross-wise...
but my question is, "why are our authorities agreeing to this!"

I can argue that 5 seconds is an eternity. That's enough time to decide whether to proceed or not. If you're about to cross, then proceed. But if you're a several seconds behind, you can start slowing down.

I prefer the timer, yes. But replacing it with the blinking-green isn't a show-stopper, considering we had neither back in the day and there were no ambiguity then (aside from when the lights were broken and such).

[Dr.Kamiya]

I think the problem with the timers is it's harder to make adjustments. Some seem to have the countdown timers programmed separately from the actual light operations, which is why we have videos of timered lights counting down then suddenly turning yellow then red even when there was still a good number of seconds left on green... On the opposing lane naman red would have been counting down then suddenly turns green (and drivers are still texting or adjusting their radios).

[oj88]

I think the problem with the timers is it's harder to make adjustments. Some seem to have the countdown timers programmed separately from the actual light operations, which is why we have videos of timered lights counting down then suddenly turning yellow then red even when there was still a good number of seconds left on green... On the opposing lane naman red would have been counting down then suddenly turns green (and drivers are still texting or adjusting their radios).

Couldn't have explained it better myself. This was the point I was making. They (either manually or through automation) can make fine adjustments on the timing in real time. When you have the timer showing, the signal is sort of committed to completing the countdown or you'll have chaos (which is evident on faulty timer/signaling systems). With the blink system, they can extend or cut down the duration of the light with great resolution and either way it goes, you're still given ~5 seconds notice to do what you need to do.

I know I'm probably giving them more credit but, I'd like to think that in the grand scheme of things, it's not likely that they did it just on a whim.

What I'd like is a better way for the government to disseminate these types of changes to the motoring public. I mean, sure it's reasonably intuitive but, I'm sure many motorists were confused the first time they saw it.