Atherton: New El Camino stoplight is on

I am not familiar with exactly how this new signal works. Hence my questions.

1. Is this a traditional traffic signal with green, yellow, and red lights?

2. If this is not a standard green-yellow-red traffic signal, is there any warning before motorists are required to stop? How is this done?

3. How are motorist supposed to tell the difference between a dark signal -- one that is OFF -- and a burned-out signal bulb? Note: I believe the California Vehicle Code requires all motorists to make at least a boulevard stop at all signals where the traffic light is out, and not to proceed until the intersection is clear.

Thanks for any answers to these very important questions.

3.

Louise68 -
Attached to this story is a photo of the light and a chart that shows the signal sequence. The three lights are in an inverted triangle, with two red lights on the top and a yellow light on the bottom. When the light is activated the yellow light will go on, followed by the two red lights. At the end of the cycle the reds will blink, meaning the motorist can proceed after stopping if no one is in the intersection.
Pedestrians and bicyclists will see walk/don't walk lights and a countdown of seconds left in the cycle.

Thanks, Barbara.

But -- what on earth is wrong with a regular traffic signal? And please don't say that is "too expensive". Certainly the wealthiest Zip Code on the US can affordto pay for a proper traffic signal! There is no good reason to re-invent the wheel, and trying to get motorists used to a traffic signal that is quite different fro every other traffic signal is a very bad idea.

And the whole thing is the result of a man who darted out into traffic and got killed. A tragic mistake, and one that no traffic signal could ever prevent. No one should ever act impulsively around motor vehicles -- or even bicyclists or any moving object.