Author: Caspian Ale
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History of Traffic Signals, Part 4: Expanding Whom and What the Signal Serves
Traffic signals gradually expanded beyond serving general motor-vehicle traffic. Part 4 examines pedestrian and bicycle accommodations, turn arrows, LED displays, transit priority, and emergency-vehicle preemption, along with the operational and safety considerations these capabilities introduced. Read more →
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History of Traffic Signals, Part 3: The Signal Becomes Responsive and Networked
Traffic signals eventually moved beyond predetermined timing. Part 3 examines how vehicle detection, electronic controllers, open architectures, central computers, and communications made signals more responsive to changing traffic conditions and connected them as parts of larger transportation networks. Read more →
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History of Traffic Signals, Part 2: From Isolated Signals to a National System
As traffic signals spread, engineers needed to coordinate them and establish consistent practices across jurisdictions. Part 2 follows the development of coordinated signal systems and the MUTCD, which helped transform isolated traffic-control devices into a standardized national system. Read more →
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History of Traffic Signals, Part 1: Before the Modern Traffic Signal
Traffic control began with officers, gestures, whistles, and mechanical devices. Part 1 traces the development of early electric and three-color signals, examines the contributions of several important inventors, and explains why no single person invented the modern traffic signal. Read more →
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Writing to Be Seen
I thought I publicly wrote because I enjoyed it. Looking back now, I realize the truth was more complicated than that. I also wrote privately which helped me understand myself, but public writing was also tied to identity, attention, audience, and the desire to be seen. It’s almost the case for all public writings. Nothing… Read more →
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Yellow Jackets and Revenge
After a yellow jacket stung me in the garden, I found myself doing something I did not expect: sitting on a stool for thirty minutes, patiently taking revenge. The insect was only following its instincts, and I knew that. What surprised me was how quickly my mind found ways to justify an emotional decision that… Read more →
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Signal Warrants App: From Frustration to a Free Engineering Tool
I built a free Signal Warrants app after getting frustrated with paid software limitations, especially around rolling hours, usability, and transparency. This is the story of turning that frustration into a practical engineering tool, one small step at a time. Read more →
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CostShare
Shared expenses are rarely shared equally. After dealing with the same friction during trips and group outings for years, I built a small lightweight tool for myself called CostShare. Read more →
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Photo Mapper
PhotoMapper is a browser-based tool that reads GPS metadata from geotagged photos and places each image on a map. It helps engineers and other field professionals organize photos by location without uploading them to a server. Read more →
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When Everything Sounds the Same: Thinking vs. Generating
As AI-generated content becomes more common, more of it starts to sound the same. This reflective essay explores the growing tension between thinking and generating, authenticity and polish, and what may happen when producing something thoughtful becomes easier than actually thinking it through. Read more →
