Vehicle sensitive traffic lights

[HLaB]

One reason I commute on a heavy steel bike, its mass is always enough to (touch wood) set off inductive loops or be detected by radar above ground.

 

[theclaud]

Just go through the things. There's no need for any mortification of the flesh.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Doppler sensors look like video cameras without a lens, sitting on top of the light pole and are more often found on temporary traffic lights. They detect movement towards them, and should be sensitive enough to detect a bike. Whether the green cycle is long enough to get through the road works is another question, as I fouind out on Sunday. <killer of urban myth> what they don't detect is head lights being flashed. Not that anyone mentioned them yet. </killer>.

Microwaves innit and ALWAYS fitted if temp lights are used in VA (vehicle activated) mode. trouble for us is on bikes is, as Sabre/Roader's digest puts it.

"Vehicles approaching at speeds lower than 10mph between 5 to 40m (5-44 yards) upstream from the detector will not be picked up, so it’s important for drivers NOT to approach PTS at a very low speed in the anticipation that the signals will change as they get to them. Having said that, the controller has a “nudge” circuit fitted that inserts a demand into the system approximately every 2.5 minutes, forcing the signals to run through a complete cycle. The detectors do not react to departing vehicles."

We are narrow targets easily missed by the detector and we often go to slow when upstream.

 

[jarlrmai]

I park my bike, walk home, get the car, drive to the lights, trigger them, get on the bike ride through, park it up, drive the car home, walk back, get back on the bike and go on my way.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

With these lights if you get off of your bike turn around 4 or 5 times and wave your hands you will find they will change in time.

... and click your heels together thrice and say "there's no place like home!"
Alternatively: is there any pedestrian button to activate pedestrian walk lights?

 

[Tim Hall]

... and click your heels together thrice and say "there's no place like home!"
Alternatively: is there any pedestrian button to activate pedestrian walk lights?

Up on this end of the world not all traffic lights have a pedestrian phase. Certainly temporary ones don't and quite a few junctions are the same. But if there is a pedestrian phase, yes, there's a button. The latest type combine button pushing with traffic sensors, so the "green man" comes on when the system decides the road is clear anyway. I could do that.

 

[helston90]

There is no push button pedestrian crossing in this direction- just an island to help out, but as you can see on the street map I would have to go over the white line to hit the ped button due to the kerb/ grass.
It's very rare there are no cars around, it just so happened to coincide when I was in the area.

 

[simon the viking]

Only one set of lights in the whole town? where do you live I want to move there!

 

[gbb]

I park my bike, walk home, get the car, drive to the lights, trigger them, get on the bike ride through, park it up, drive the car home, walk back, get back on the bike and go on my way.

Read Viz do you ?

 

[themosquitoking]

Only one set of lights in the whole town? where do you live I want to move there!

I'm guessing it's Helston from the map link and the username. @helston90 from the picture it looks like the loop is extended along the left hand side of the road, possibly for cyclists, try riding along that side of it. You can see it, it's the slightly darker lines in the road surface.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Treat them with the same amount of respect as that shown towards cyclists by the highway engineers. Unless, of course, they don't believe lights apply to cyclists....

 

[helston90]

It is yeah- there's another set which is ped/ quiet side road only activated, however in a 2 mile stretch you can hit 8 round a bouts- so what we lack in one....!
I will try hitting that line in future,see if I can trigger it.