Ask The City – What is the Purpose of Flashing Yellow Arrows on Stop Lights?

Your Question:

What do we gain by having blinking yellow left turn arrows on stoplights? They are confusing. When I first encountered it, I thought it was like the green left turn arrow, but telling me that the other lane would be allowed to go very soon. This is not the case. The yellow arrow does not mean that you can turn left while the other lane waits. The traffic in the other lane is not stopped when the blinking yellow arrow is turned on. So apparently, when this yellow arrow is lit up, you can turn left only if there is no oncoming traffic just like at a regular green light. So what is the purpose of the blinking yellow arrow?

The City's Response:

The flashing yellow arrow allows the driver to turn left if there is a gap in the oncoming traffic where one can safely make a  left turn.   The flashing yellow lights provide for a more efficient flow of traffic during those times of day when traffic is light.  The driver turning left does not have to wait until a green arrow comes up but can go as soon as oncoming traffic and pedestrians have cleared.

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