We were in Vancouver, B.C., last night watching the "Celebration of Light" fireworks competition. (Just stupendous, BTW!) As we drove home, we noticed that many of the traffic lights along the main roads were flashing green. Some lights changed normally, but many just continually flashed green without changing.

What does that mean; drive like hell, to beat the next light? None of us had ever seen that particular traffic light signal.

+-They mean something different in Vancouver than they do in the rest of the country.

Just what that is beats me, though.

I look forward to the Vancouver-based answer, too.

BAK

This link will help you to the answer.......my flashing green light here in Ontario means something different......... http://www.webfoot.com/blog/2006/11/...-green-lights/

IIRC, green flashing means it's a pedestrian controlled light. That is, when pedestrians want to cross, they push the button at the lightpost and wait for the light to change.

These lights are used so that the traffic flow on main roads aren't stopped all the time but also allows walkers/cyclists, etc. a safe way to cross a busy street.

Drivers are supposed to stop immediately when the light turns amber and be mindful of people crossing the intersection.

Enjoy-la!

Thank you all for the information. It makes sense now -- I would suggest that it would be good to post a sign or two to let visitors know what those flashing green lights are all about. You are going to have a flood of visitors for the Olympics, and most will not be familiar with what they mean, especially the sensible requirement to stop immediately on the amber. Most of us in the rest of the world take a yellow light as a signal to go like the devil to beat the red.

I'm from Vancouver but live in Toronto now (for the past 30 years) In Toronto a flashing green light is an advance left - and in Vancouver (as pointed out) it's a pedestrian controlled light. It's not good to confuse those two things! I always have to be really careful the first few hours I'm driving in Vancouver!

I'm from Toronto but live in Victoria now - and I was also confused by the flashing green lights. Sometimes in Toronto the lights will flash on and off when the signal isn't working properly. I was a bit too hesitant approaching intersections here at first, until my SO, who is from Vancouver originally, explained it to me.

Elisabeth, what is an "advance left" when it is at home? Not familiar with that phrase.

An Advance Left means that the oncoming traffic has a red light so it's safe for you to turn left (similar to having a green arrow)

OK, that makes it clear.

Thanks,