These Traffic Signals Have Flashing Yellow Arrows: What This Means

Motorists in Palm Beach County will see an additional feature in their traffic lights. Eight intersections in Boynton Beach will have a new traffic light feature beginning on the 16^th of November, flashing yellow arrows. Its success will determine whether to implement the practice throughout the rest of the county or not. It is not surprising that people are asking what a flashing yellow arrow means.

Motorists are already familiar with solid-colored arrows in traffic lights. Green indicates permission to turn left. Yellow signals proceed with caution and give notice that the light is transitioning to red soon. If the yellow arrow is flashing instead of staying solid, it cautions motorists to turn left when it is safe to do so; however, there is no impending red light coming. It is the traffic light equivalent to a “Yield” traffic sign.

Flashing Yellow Arrows Palm Beach County Infographic

The Assistant Director of the Traffic Division of Palm Beach County, Melissa Ackert, said that the new traffic light feature will offer a number of benefits. It will give motorists more opportunities to turn left. The system will also reduce wait times at intersections. The new feature will also improve traffic flow by promoting better signal timing.

The flashing arrows will line the major intersections of Congress Avenue, from Golf Road to Renaissance Drive and Catalina Centre Drive. The intersection of Winchester Park Boulevard and Boynton Beach Boulevard will also have the new traffic light feature.

Ackert added that Boynton Beach provided the best testbed for the new feature. The city has pedestrian and traffic flows that can benefit from the safety and mobility improvements that the new traffic light feature will provide.

The flashing arrows in these intersections will enable county officials to determine the feasibility of implementing the same technology in other parts of Palm Beach County.

The traffic light feature is not new. Other parts of the country already use the system for more than a decade. The same system is also available in 100 Florida locations. Martin County was the latest Florida county to have flashing yellow arrows in some of its intersections. It activated the system in October 2019.

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