Temporary traffic lights at road works

[al3xsh]

Hi,

I wondered if anyone else has had issues with cycling through temporary traffic lights at road works?

I was cycling through Brassington and Longcliffe in the peak district yesterday and there is a big section of single lane road works controlled by temporary traffic lights - but it seems that the timings of these temporary traffic lights don't take into account the fact that bikes can't go as fast as cars (particularly uphill)!

I went through the lights just after they turned green and about halfway through met a long queue of traffic coming the other way - including several large lorries from the quarry works. With no foot path I as forced into the verge

This is not the first time this has happened on roadworks - and I am not convinced that the vehicle actuated timings can actually detect cyclists. It was particularly noticeable yesterday as this is an extremely long stretch of road works with no footpath (approximately 1/3 of a mile).

Has any one had similar experiences?

Alex

 

[Welsh wheels]

I've never been through a section long enough for that, but it does sound as though the lights weren't programmed to allow time for cyclists. If so, that's quite a significant flaw. I'd write to the relevant powers that be if I were you.

 

[hoopdriver]

It sounds to me like the lights were badly programmed. They usually take into account slower moving vehicles and the much slower speed limit that is imposed on construction areas. That speed limit is usually around 20mph - or within cooee of a bicycle's speed. You should be fine. That you were not suggests somebody screwed up when they installed and programmed the lights.

I have been through some fairly long construction areas, with temporary lights, and have not encountered any problems like that. In fact I have generally been pleasantly surprised as I had expected that I might have had troubles just like you describe. I do tend to put on a bit of pace when I go through such zones, so I don't impede traffic behind me and also so I get clear.

I think you've been unlucky.

 

[Alan Frame]

I've had the same happen to me a couple of times, but luckily could escape inside the coned off area to my left.
Naturally I had the inevitable twonk slow down to tell me I shouldn't be coming through on red, so I stopped to tell them that the lights were on green when I'd started out and they should get a move on to stop the same happening to them

 

[al3xsh]

I have emailed the council in charge of that area, so we'll see what response I get ...

The stretch in question is about 1/3rd of a mile @ an average of 6% - at the tail-end of a 50+ mile ride I feel justified in crawling up the hill @7-8mph!

I also wonder about some of vehicle actuated lights, as I've been waiting for ages at traffic lights before with no traffic coming the other way only for the lights to change as soon as a car rolls up behind me!

Cheers,

Alex

 

[numbnuts]

Had some road workd a few weeks back in my area and a large sign saying “cyclists dismount” just before the traffic lights, never seen this before, maybe it's a new thing.

 

[Slick]

I usually find both temporary and fixed lights do recognise cyclists, but your definitely right regarding the timings through some of the works. So far, I've been fortunate enough to have a bail out either to the coned off work area, which isn't ideal, or there has been another section coned off for pedestrians. If there is a particular difficulty in the road works you are dealing with the principal contractor will have a duty to put some additional provision in place to make sure all road users get through their works safely.

 

[Drago]

In your scenario the incoming traffic is supposed to give way to you, but they never do.

Complain to t'highways dept at t'council.

 

[classic33]

Been caught a few times whilst on this

with a load on the back. No reverse and nowhere to go(footpath/parking area).

 

[classic33]

In your scenario the incoming traffic is supposed to give way to you, but they never do.

Complain to t'highways dept at t'council.

Control of traffic flow is down to the company doing the work. Usually sub-contracted out. Not the local council.

 

[Drago]

The carncil pay the bills. The contractors will do what the highways dept tell them to, if they can be bothered to tell them anything.

 

[oldwheels]

This scenario is very common. Usually I have a look ahead and if there is room to cycle inside say a line of cones I ignore the lights as they will often have changed before I reach the end anyway. There is a set of "temporary" lights near where I live where the carriageway is threatening to collapse on one side and single lane traffic on a blind bend is very useful for my motorhome as the carriageway is not wide enough for two wide vehicles to pass anyway. Traffic is light mostly so on the bike there is still room to just ignore the lights. Connel Bridge near Oban is single lane (it is an old railway bridge) with timings which seem to be not consistent and I have seen several touring cyclists in front of a long tailback. They should be timed for slow vehicles but it does not always work this way. Local cyclists usually use the rather narrow pavement. I always have a look ahead tho' in case there is a ped. approaching who will have right of way. With a trike things are certainly not so easy.

 

[Lee_M]

happened to me up a steep climb just outside wrexham. emailed the council and thy fixed it the next day, pity they didn't think about it beforehand though

 

[Will Spin]

Mrs Spin and I had a temp traffic light incident a couple of years back. She's not the world's fastest cyclist! Unfortunately the red light was at the beginning of a slight up hill section with bends through wooded banks. The right side if the road was closed off due to service trenching operations. On the green light we set off trundling uphill with a line of traffic behind us. About halfway through we met a line of on coming traffic, which had started off on their green light. We were able to squeeze past the stationary traffic and left them to sort themselves out!

 

[NorthernDave]

Yep, happens to me quite a bit. There is a little box on top of the lights that is meant to detect traffic that seems to either not recognise cyclists at all (so you sit there waiting for a car to arrive) or doesn't allow enough time. Fortunately I've been able to dive into the coned off area or onto a footpath when faced with cars bearing down on me, but it's no fun.

Surely in this age of technological marvels, it's not beyond the wit of some boffin to invent a system that counts how many road users have passed the green light and then hold the other light at red until they've all passed that one? Or is that too simple?