After three years living in Kanagawa, I’ve become convinced that I could design a better traffic light timing system than the one currently in place with about a week of time and a pack of crayons.
In most cities I’ve lived in (predominantly the U.S.), if you drive at or around the speed limit on the main roads, you are very rarely stopped by a red light. If you are, then once it turns green you have pretty much a straight shot. This is because the traffic lights are staggered at intervals, roughly corresponding to the speed limit. Exceptions may apply for busy intersections, etc.
Anyways, I’ve noticed on the main streets here that when one light turns red, they all turn red. This leads to a stop and go traffic pattern. This is regardless of the time of day. It does the same thing at 8 a.m, 12:30 p.m, 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and even 3 a.m.
To be fair, I’ve not noticed it much outside of Kanagawa – but I also only really drive around town and for work.
Is this intentional? I’ve theorized that maybe it’s meant to encourage use of public transportation and discourage personal vehicles – but I’ve also wondered if it’s just shoddy planning.
TLDR: Traffic light systems are horrendously inefficient on major roadways in Kanagawa and possibly elsewhere, is this intentional?