I gotten so frustrated that while I am doing some of my part in saving the world & lessening traffic jams (sure there is more, but here I do not need to list them all) that when I come to an intersection with traffic lights & crosswalk lights, telling you when it is safe for you to cross, that I have to wait forever to right away to use the crosswalk! The lights are setup to give the BLANKING automobiles the a long time to cross or turn, before I am allowed to use the crosswalk or just the intersection, without a crosswalk! Given what my riding does for the Earth & All Living Beings & decreasing traffic, all automobiles should instantly have to come to a stop/LIGHTS TURN RED & wait for me!
Of course if we all had Scandinavian style whole roadway or at least completely protected & separated cycle lanes, than this would a much less of a problem.
I use myself as an specific example for all cyclist. Imagine all cyclist have the same problem.
After posting exchanges, I thought of another parts to add to my idea (when former roadways have been turned into restricted to only all <including bicyclists & excluding all motorized vehicles> pedestrians roadways)-
Yes, the rules/laws are created so that if there are no traffic at all & red light (in the pedestrian’s or pedestrians’ direction), then it is legal for them to cross the roadway(s) against the red light. Not just at the intersection(s) either, Illegal Jaywalking should only be when there are traffic/like Frogger video game.
&
If any pedestrian(s) come-up to an intersection(s) at more than one-direction, not only do the automobile’s or automobiles’ have wait as the traffic lights go from green-yellow-red (or the at stops sign or signs or nothing at all the pedestrian go first), but if there are more than 1-pedestrian, then all the pedestrians go first, in all directions & at the same time.
Example- pedestrians (including bicyclists) are in the South, North, East & West directions & arrive before/same time/shortly after the automobile(s), then all the pedestrians go at the same time, as the traffic lights, for automobile(s), go from Green-Yellow-Red. I cannot see how if the other part of the idea is okay that these parts would be a problem.
Given what my riding does for the Earth & All Living Beings & decreasing traffic, all automobiles should instantly have to come to a stop/LIGHTS TURN RED & wait for me!
Thereby negating everything you did that day. Congratulations.
This. Fossil fuel vehicles waste a ton of energy stopping and starting again. If you bring a few dozen cars to an extra stop that might waste more fuel than you saved by riding.
That’s a pseudo-argument considering only the short term effects.
Making alternative modes of travel (bike, public transport) more convenient while reducing favoring car traffic, lets more people switch, reducing emissions significantly in the long run.
Argument also doesn’t apply that much for the increasing number of EVs any more.Removed by mod
While the driver-aimed lights don’t turn red for us often, at least the “wait” red crossing lights in the UK are only advisory and can be treated as a yield/give-way without penalty so we don’t wait if it’s clear.
The French signs clearly allowing bikes to pass red in some directions seem better, though.
So in France bicyclist are allowed to ride through intersections when traffic lights are red for their direction, telling the traffic where bicyclists are riding from to stop, but bicyclists can ride through?
Nah, it’s just that you can cycle through red when it doesn’t affect any motorists, such as a right turn, or straight ahead when there is no right. People cycling through red have to yield to other cycle traffic and all walkers, of course.
Okay, I assume that is what is done, everywhere, no?
I seen this done by all types of people, but becoming less frequent because of such people/drivers, in the cities. Never seen a ticket given, I think there are no laws against it, when done with no traffic, just like jaywalking.
It is done widely but it’s often illegal in at least some layouts and some places have police that will ticket it, often inconsistently.
And let’s not start with the “jaywalking” made up by the motor companies a century ago.
Interesting, please do start that,I have not heard that. I see it, if there are traffic around/Frogger video game, then it is too dangerous.
Or even worse: the ones you have to push a button first for them to even consider switching to green sometime during the next cycle.
I usually switch to the road in time when I know one of those is up ahead, going back to the bikelane after the intersection again.
What big deal is having switch? Sure it would be cool, if it was done by censors sensing our bicycles riding-up. But would barely save any time, when they located at the beginning of the crosswalks/beginning of the intersections. Is that avoidance not wasting more time, let alone endangering you more?
Time: Often safes significant time, as the switches don’t let the traffic lights go to green right away, but only put you into queue to be considered at a much later time (typical: one entire cycle later, so 1-2 min)
Safety: Most common and dangerous accidents are caused by the vehicles turning right during the green phase, crossing the bikelane not noticing bikes that are besides them or are approaching from behind.
So it is statistically actually much safer to not use the bikelane at such intersections.
Only potential hazard is the switching of lanes, but I normally just do that some distance before the intersection and only if traffic permits, so not much of an issue.Sometimes car drivers get annoyed, but I don’t care much. Wouldn’t be in the lane in the first place if the infrastructure didn’t favor car traffic so much already.
Each stop is like another 100m travel. They soon add up. Approach sensors, anticipatory greens and green waves are worthwhile and done in the best countries.
“Each stop is like another 100m travel.” That is a joke right? There is no distance added, very little time added for pushing a button, for bicyclist. By the way, you have read that what I suggested was automatically, after activated, going from Green-Yellow-Red. Automobiles would have to have time to come to a stop. Going from Green to Red would be a safety issue for automobiles & bicyclists crossing.
“Each stop is like another 100m travel.” That is a joke right?
No joke. It’s a fact of physics, explained in https://www.camcycle.org.uk/magazine/newsletter46/article9/
I was agreeing with you that the Green-Amber-Red sequence should be triggered by approach sensors. This is called “anticipatory greens” in the UK.
The other problem with beg buttons is that once they’re installed, it only takes one motoring supremacist to lengthen the delay and keep active travellers waiting so long that the light basically becomes irrelevant because there will be a gap where you can cross before the lights ever stop motorists. Nearly all crossings near me are configured that way. Only two sets ever change quicker. Another one is meant to but never does for me.
“The other problem with beg buttons is that once they’re installed, it only takes one motoring supremacist to lengthen the delay and keep active travellers waiting so long that the light basically becomes irrelevant because there will be a gap where you can cross before the lights ever stop motorists. Nearly all crossings near me are configured that way. Only two sets ever change quicker. Another one is meant to but never does for me.”
You mean by blocking the pedestrian or pedestrians (including bicyclists) from crossing? Then obviously those drivers would be given tickets, problem solved. While I hate those Red Light Cameras, they do solve do automatic ticketing by license plates.
You mean by blocking the pedestrian or pedestrians (including bicyclists) from crossing?
No, I mean by reconfiguring (if an officer) or ordering the reconfiguring (if an elected politician) of the crossing to give a longer “WAIT” sign duration after the button is pressed, maximising the theoretical vehicle throughput, at the expense of the theoretical people throughput.
We do also have “crossing creeper” red-light-jumping drivers too, of course, but we also have some militant types who photograph, punch or slap any cars stopped blocking crossings. I keep hoping to see someone walk or slide over the hood of one, as I’ve heard about, but I haven’t yet seen!
Then obviously those drivers would be given tickets, problem solved. While I hate those Red Light Cameras, they do solve do automatic ticketing by license plates.
We don’t have Red Light Cameras. Well, not many. There used to be a few, but I only know of one in my borough that might still be working. The motoring supremacist in charge of the transport department puts a zero budget for red light camera maintenance every year and just waits for them to fail, then says there’s no money to fix them. We have a few bus lane and speed cameras working still and that’s about all.
I’ve been watching this stuff long enough to have realised these dirty tricks.
“ No, I mean by reconfiguring (if an officer) or ordering the reconfiguring (if an elected politician) of the crossing to give a longer “WAIT” sign duration after the button is pressed, maximising the theoretical vehicle throughput, at the expense of the theoretical people throughput.”
Gotcha, that would be outlawed, unless emergency & police would then be involved.
“We do also have “crossing creeper” red-light-jumping drivers too, of course, but we also have some militant types who photograph, punch or slap any cars stopped blocking crossings. I keep hoping to see someone walk or slide over the hood of one, as I’ve heard about, but I haven’t yet seen!”
We have red light cameras & enforcement cameras, but people still do it, just less amounts. Cameras are just for raising money for locations’ governments that get either wasted or diverted up to Rich-Super Rich Economic Classes/Owners. One accident with a automobile is possibly deadly.
WOW! I thought I have heard-seen everything with my decades of past bicycling, but never a bicyclist punch or slap any cars stopped blocking crossings! That is dangerous action I would never take, & I have continued to ride the same route where automobiles play chicken with me. Of course my Ag. & unincorporated area & nearest city have high gun ownership & political Right people.
I have also never seen it, myth? Where is supposedly happening NY C or somewhere in the state of La?
Are you athletic & experienced enough to do it, if I was I think I would do it, then again guns are a serious deterrent to doing that sort of thing. Just yelling has gotten me into arguments, in deep past, now, might result in gun shots.
The video-photography thing is good & bad for me, I militant about personal privacy & BLANKING cameras violations, everywhere, but the automobiles are already in violations.
Where i live we just go if the way is clear. We have bike crossing lights too but they’re not mandatory, just suggestions to let you know it’s definitely safe to cross. Can’t you just cross (even on foot if necessary) whenever the way is clear?
Where do you live?
Here in Germany ignoring a red light (even on foot and when it clearly doesn’t make sense to wait) is really expensive if caught and may even cost you your driver’s license in the long run (even as an pedestrian…)Testing replying…
I agree with your reply, what I would assume is true, but never seen a bicyclist pulled-over & given a ticket. South Fl.
Testing replying…
