Traffic signals stuck at red:how long till"legally defective

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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Traffic signals stuck at red:how long till"legally defec

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Mick F wrote:
[XAP]Bob wrote:In teh Gunnislake case it just needs RLJ cameras and a longer inter green for the uphill section - or they need to actually calibrate the loops for detection.
Yep.

RLJ cameras would work to stop the RLJers. Bring 'em on!

Calibration too, but it's only me complaining. Many of the JOGLEers coming through go on the pavement. Believe me, they do! :shock:


Would a sign work?

Or is the pavement wide enough to dedicate some of it to an uphill cycle lane (I assume not on the basis that it's a one way (at a time) street)
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
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Mick F
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Re: Traffic signals stuck at red:how long till"legally defec

Post by Mick F »

Not wide enough.

It's not many years ago that the lights were installed, and years later, they made the pavements.
30years ago when we moved here, there was two-way traffic through the village, and it took a fatality of a pedestrian before they would install a crossing. Trouble was, there were no pavements, so they put them in, installed a crossing, and made the road narrow, so they needed traffic lights (one set on each of the four roads). Some years later, they made the pavements wider and installed two crossings.

Two-way traffic was horrendous for pedestrians. There were more shops back then and people had to wait in the shop doorways to let the traffic past. :shock: The Tavistock Inn front step was sometimes mounted by lorry wheels!

People who complain about the traffic lights only seem to be people with short memories, or are recent incomers. My issue with the delay is chicken feed. At least they go to green for me. :lol:
Mick F. Cornwall
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anniesboy
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Re: Traffic signals stuck at red:how long till"legally defec

Post by anniesboy »

I have the same problem as Mick, but lights are over a Thames river bridge,as you can see the road is narrow.
The safest way to cross is to get to the front of traffic ( if you can),wait until there is no oncoming traffic. Then start off on red even then with the road being narrow be overtaken by a bus is hairy,hence I ride out in order to stop such passing.
I also recently observed another concern.
I set off vehicles started to pass me,unfortunately an elderly lady on a bike was coming from the opposite direction,she decided probably wisely to stop.
I will raise my concern with my local Councillors but I don't hope for action.
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mjr
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Re: Traffic signals stuck at red:how long till"legally defec

Post by mjr »

There's another similar problem with the "temporary" (been there at least 8 years) traffic lights on Wick Road, Hewish off the A370 over the railway bridge. They have infra-red sensors so the lights shouldn't change before the bridge is clear, but they seem unable to spot cyclists against low sun. A few years ago, a 4x4 tried to wipe out most of a local cycle club. Since then, the pavement on the south side has been signed as shared-use but it's barely wide enough to wriggle through on a bike - trikes have no chance.
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anniesboy
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Re: Traffic signals stuck at red:how long till"legally defec

Post by anniesboy »

Here is another Thames bridge near to me, I usually go on the pavement as it so narrow. And about 200 metres between the lights.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.64953 ... !2e0?hl=en
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bigjim
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Re: Traffic signals stuck at red:how long till"legally defec

Post by bigjim »

I have the same situation on my regular route. You can't get through the lights from a standing start unless you go hell for leather before the opposing set turn to green. If they are already on green as you approach you have no chance. I use the pavement. This road leads to an industrial estate so you often have artics approaching from both sides. I'm sure these lights detect cars and not bikes.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.587328,-2.230338,3a,75y,180h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sJmVFxWiH7E7nUPNm8GyYSg!2e0?hl=en
Vorpal
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Re: Traffic signals stuck at red:how long till"legally defec

Post by Vorpal »

When I've had this sort of problem with any lights in Essex, I complained to the highway authority (usually county council) and copied the cycling officer, and it was consistently fixed the next time I went through; once only a couple of days later. Even with temporary traffic lights.

I'm sorry, but red light jumping is a %#*& excuse. All they need to do is put a camera on it & a sign that there's a camera.

Mick F: I suggest that the highways dept. should be reminded that this is LEJoG / JoGLE route and that cyclists who are unfamiliar with local roads are likely to be using the route.

Sensors in the road is a good idea, if they can consistently track a cyclist. Then, the lights could be on a shorter sequence when there are no cyclists present.
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The Mechanic
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Re: Traffic signals stuck at red:how long till"legally defec

Post by The Mechanic »

I can categorically say that the lights at the bottom of my road do not sense me when I ride down to the lights with no cars present. I have often sat there for several minutes waiting for the lights to change only for them to change instantly a car arrives behind me. This is the case whether I am on my steel bike, alloy bike or my carbon bike. I usually inch out in a gap in the traffic if possible or I could be there for days!..
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danhopgood
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Re: Traffic signals stuck at red:how long till"legally defec

Post by danhopgood »

The Mechanic wrote:I can categorically say that the lights at the bottom of my road do not sense me when I ride down to the lights with no cars present. I have often sat there for several minutes waiting for the lights to change only for them to change instantly a car arrives behind me. This is the case whether I am on my steel bike, alloy bike or my carbon bike. I usually inch out in a gap in the traffic if possible or I could be there for days!..


From my experience the types of traffic light junctions there are fall into the following categories:
No loops - fixed or variable cycle times based on time of day controlled by simple timer.
Loops capable of detecting cars but not bikes - these can include phases where demand is required via the loop detector. If you're at one of these on a bike you'll wait there 'til a car comes along
Loops capable of detecting bikes - will apply to most junctions installed in the last few years.

Detector loops are relatively fragile things - loops of very thin wire set 25mm or so into the surface. They can and do break - typical life is maybe 10 years. When they break the traffic signals will go into a fail-safe mode - keeping the traffic moving, but not at full functionality.
thirdcrank
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Re: Traffic signals stuck at red:how long till"legally defec

Post by thirdcrank »

There's a lot of information about traffic lights in TAL 1/2006 which is in four comprehensive parts all available in PDF format here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... 89-to-2009

Well worth reading. (At least for anybody obsessed with traffic lights. :oops: )

Some posters have mentioned portable traffic lights which bring their own problems for cyclists. They have their own TAL here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... ar-traffic

(I can't comment on this one. I've been too idle to bother with it.)
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Redvee
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Re: Traffic signals stuck at red:how long till"legally defec

Post by Redvee »

[XAP]Bob wrote:Aluminium should work, since it is induction detection, but there just isn't much metal close enough to the ground to make it work for most bikes.

There can be, if the loops are set up correctly - but that's not always done.


If you look at the detection loops and ride across where two lines meet you have a better chance of triggering the lights. If you look at 0:14 you can see two diagonal lines across the bus lane that I ride over.

[youtube]YJ2eszqxiRM[/youtube]

Another trick I found that works on some lights is a flashing front light aimed at the top of the traffic lights.

[youtube]N41tipAB8YY[/youtube]

On my old commute, there were two Traffic Lights where this worked for me, but this doesn't work on all Traffic Lights.
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