Arizona Traffic Signals
Traffic signals in Arizona are usually found as full black signals with tunnel visors and louvered backplates. However, there are some exceptions to this. Most notably Tucson, with their yellow signals. Additionally, many cities have various different setups with different poles and different signs. This page will show off how each city displays their traffic signals, along with some explanations. Cities that aren't included in this list either do not have traffic signals or their traffic signals are ADOT maintained and therefore are classified as ADOT standard.
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ADOT Standard
ADOT's older signal setup was a typical gray pole with a short curved mast. Most of these have been replaced, but there are some areas that still have these poles. The standard signal setup used by ADOT used to be just a simple gray pole with a curved mast and a simple street sign (sometimes). In 2021, a new style started appearing, with straight masts with sheets of metal attached to prevent masts from bouncing in the wind. There are also some cities whose traffic signals are maintained by ADOT, however they have special poles for them (Holbrook, Sedona, and Winslow).
Apache Junction
Apache Junction uses full black signals like most of Arizona. In Apache Junction there are 2 typical signal setups that can be found. The typical setup is on a standard gray pole with a simple street sign. The other setup is on a brown pole with an illuminated street sign. I believe the only intersection that has the brown poles and illuminated signs is at Apache Trail and Old West Highway.
Avondale
Avondale has a few different signal setups. The first one is the one found in downtown, with a standard mast and a small simple street sign (there are a few street sign designs). The second setup is an older one, but very similar to the current setup with the large masts that go around the signals. In the current standard setup, the only only major difference is that the street sign is now placed on the right rather than in the middle. There are also occassionally new installations with the standard curved mast poles it seems.
Buckeye
Buckeye has one setup variant that can be found in downtown with brown poles and a simple street sign. The other variant can be found almost everywhere else in Buckeye with white poles and a mast that surrounds the traffic signals. The last area with a different setup is in the community of Verrado. Verrado has brown poles with a standard curved mast and illuminated street signs mounted on the pole.
Bullhead City
It seems Bullhead City has taken some influence from California and Nevada regarding their street signs. Other than that, it's just a typical Arizona signal setup here.
Casa Grande
The first setup here is the old Casa Grande setup that can be found mostly around downtown. It's just standard signals on a standard pole with an older illuminated sign similar to the ones found in Glendale or California. The newer standard setup is similar, although with a newer style of illuminated sign, now mounted on the side of the pole instead of on the mast. Lastly, Casa Grande has a wired signal setup at this more rural intersection of McCartney and Peart Roads. Wired signal setups are very uncommon in Arizona and are usually only seen in construction zones.
Chandler
Chandler sets up their downtown signals with brown poles and a mast that surrounds the signals. Along Arizona Avenue north of downtown, there are signals on brown poles with standard curved masts. Finally, the standard setup is just a gray pole and curved mast.
Cottonwood
Cottonwood appears to only have one signal setup; a greenish-gray painted pole with a curved mast.
Douglas
Douglas has green poles with a curved mast in its downtown.
El Mirage
El Mirage is unique because they are the only city in the state of Arizona that uses horizontal traffic signals. Originally, El Mirage signal setups were just the standard gray poles with curved masts, just with an El Mirage street sign. In 2016, El Mirage started a big improvement construction project around the downtown area, which is when the new black poles and horizontal traffic signals began appearing.
Flagstaff
Flagstaff has two signal setup variants. In downtown, signals are mounted on dark green poles with standard curved masts. Outside of downtown, the poles are just standard gray, very similar to normal ADOT setups.
Fountain Hills
Fountain Hills only has one signal setup. They use a typical pole with a curved mast, but painted a yellowish-white color.
Gilbert
Gilbert has three different signal setups. The first one is an older setup that uses a boxy "modular" signal mast. A bit of research has shown that these were apparently installed in the early-mid 2000s and were very short lived before Gilbert went back to using standard poles. These boxy poles are only found in a few other cities in the state: Tempe, Goodyear, and downtown Tucson. The second setup is with green painted poles, used in downtown Gilbert. Lastly, the current setup is a standard pole and curved mast, painted brown. This specific setup has an example of Gilbert's new street sign design.
Glendale
Glendale has quite a few signal setups. In downtown, the poles are black with a straight mast and the old street signs. Outside of downtown, the older setups typically have full black signals on a standard gray pole and curved mast with the old smaller street signs. Going back to downtown, at 59th Ave & Glendale Ave, there is a unique setup with standard poles and a larger centered street sign that I've only seen at this intersection. The signals also have the yellow retroreflective outline on the backplate. Finally, the newest setup has a completely different street sign design and placement, now more similar to many other cities in the Phoenix area.
Goodyear
Goodyear originally only used the boxy, modular signal poles, like the ones in Tempe, however, they might be being phased out as a new signal installation from around 2020 shown below does not use these poles anymore.
Guadalupe
Guadalupe has one signal setup variant for the one intersection that has a traffic light in the town. It's just standard gray poles with a curved mast and a very simple street sign.
Kingman
Kingman has one signal setup variant. It's a standard gray pole with a curved mast and a simple street sign.
Lake Havasu City
Lake Havasu City only has one signal setup variant. Just a standard gray pole with a curved mast, along with their illuminated street sign mounted from a separate mast above the signal mast.
Marana
Marana just uses a standard gray pole with a curved mast for their setups. There are two street sign variants, but the only difference is really that older ones are placed in the center of the mast, and newer ones are mounted on the pole, above the mast.
Maricopa
Maricopa basically only has one signal setup variant. There are a few street sign variants, but that's about it.
Maricopa County
Maricopa County used to have two variants, however the old yellow poles have all been replaced. The current standard signal setup is just typical gray poles with a curved mast and full black signals.
Mesa
Mesa has a couple of different signal setups. The typical standard setup is with the normal gray pole with a curved mast. In downtown, it's painted green. In the Fiesta District, the poles are painted a brownish-gray color. In the Eastmark neighborhood, they're painted brown with a white curved top mast for the street light. Lastly, in northeast Mesa, there's an area that has unique wooden poles with black curved masts. A similar setup can also be found in Scottsdale. Additionally, Mesa has a pretty large amount of street sign variants that can be found all over the city.
Mesa Street Signs
Oro Valley
Oro Valley has one signal setup style. It's a standard pole with a curved mast, but with a yellowish-white color, similar to Fountain Hills.
Paradise Valley
Paradise Valley only has one setup style. It's a standard pole with a curved mast with a tan-ish color.
Peoria
Peoria really only has one signal setup variant with a standard gray pole with a curved mast. However, in the Peoria 83 area, there are special street signs.
Phoenix
Phoenix has a few different signal setup variants. Poles in downtown and in the Biltmore Area are painted brown, a light pink-white-ish color on the west side of the airport and in northeast Phoenix, and green everywhere else. All color variants have had 3 different mast designs throughout the years. The oldest mast design is a simple design that was common throughout the Phoenix metro area in the 1990s, a mast supported with tie rods attached to the pole. The later mast style was the standard curved mast used throughout most of Arizona. Now, the latest mast style is a fully straight mast.
Pima County
Signals maintained by Pima County are also yellow, like the ones in Tucson. The three signal setups that I've seen are standard gray pole with a curved mast, with a straight mast and a sheet of metal to prevent bouncing in the wind, and wired.
Pinal County
Pinal County has a standard gray pole with a curved mast as their standard signal setup. Since San Tan Valley isn't an incorporated city, all of the signals there are maintained by Pinal County. Additionally, in San Tan Valley, there are a few intersections that have signals mounted on tube gantries, similar to the ones ADOT uses on Grand Avenue in Phoenix.
Prescott
Prescott has 2 signal setup variants. In downtown, signals are mounted on black poles with curved masts. Outside of downtown, the poles are gray with a curved mast and a simple street sign, similar to the ADOT standard.
Prescott Valley
Prescott Valley has one signal setup variant. The poles are standard gray with a curved mast and with a center mounted street sign, similar to California.
Queen Creek
Queen Creek has two signal setup variants. In downtown, standard brown poles with a curved mast are used. In the rest of Queen Creek, the poles are gray. Queen Creek street signs are very similar to the ones used in Pinal County.
Sahuarita
Sahuarita has one signal setup variant that is a brown pole with a curved mast.
Scottsdale
Scottsdale has quite few signal setup variants. The two main mast designs are the standard curved and the mast that surrounds the signals which is only found in downtown. The curved mast has a white, gray, brown, and salmon colored variant. The mast that surrounds the traffic signals has a white and gray variant. Additionally, in the North Scottsdale neighborhood, there are setups with wooden poles and black masts, identical to the ones seen in Mesa, just older.
Sierra Vista
Sierra Vista is one of the three cities in Arizona that uses yellow traffic signals instead of the standard black ones. Other than this, the rest of the setup is standard gray pole and curved mast.
South Tucson
South Tucson is another one of the three cities in Arizona that uses yellow traffic signals. Like Sierra Vista, the rest of the setup is standard gray pole and curved mast.
Surprise
Surprise just uses a standard gray pole with a curved mast along with their purple-ish-brown colored street signs.
Tempe
Tempe has a few different signal setup variants. In downtown, a brown pole with a curved mast is used. Outside of downtown, the boxy modular brown poles are used at newer intersections. On older intersections, the old gray poles and curved masts with or without tie rods are used.
NEW! Apparently, Tempe also has these new simple brown poles with straight masts. Not sure yet if they're fully phasing out the modular setup as a new modular setup went up just last year.
Tucson
Tucson has quite a few signal setup variants. In downtown, the current standard is a standard brown pole with a curved mast. Previously, Tucson used boxy modular poles like the ones in Tempe, Goodyear, and Gilbert. A few of these can still be found in downtown as well as on the west side of Tucson. There are also old gray poles with masts supported with tie rods, as well as the current gray poles with curved masts. Additionally, in downtown there are a few intersections with green poles where the signals are mounted on wires. Lastly, there's a unique setup involving a box mast spanning across Broadway Blvd for the half SPUI interchange at Aviation Pkwy (SR 210).
Yuma
Yuma has two signal setup variants. One is the standard gray pole with a curved mast, the other is with a straight mast. Newer signals also have retroreflective borders on the backplates.
Page last updated: 9/18/2024