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.
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.