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We have those in Poland. Sucks if you are on a bike. You need to wait for a car to turn it green for you.

by bluecalm 1y ago

6510 1y ago
In the Netherlands we have ones that detect warm bodies.
- hobofan 1y ago
  Sucks if you are a zombie...
  - vrosas 1y ago
    Here in Zombieland we have cameras that can detect any bipedal movement.
    - arjvik 1y ago
      Sucks if you drive a car
- AlecSchueler 1y ago
  There's a road closure near me here in Rotterdam which has encouraged some people to get around it by cycling on a short patch of the tram track. It's quite funny to hear the "tram approaching" bell ringing only to look and see a small boy on his bike.
toast0 1y ago
If they're using inductive vehicle detector loops in the pavement, those can be tuned to detect motorcycles and bicycles (probably not carbon fiber bikes though). Where I've seen and used loops tuned for bicycles, they have a different cut pattern and a painted bike to accent positions where the detector is likely to detect you... Sadly, they don't tend to have far back detectors (advance loops) tuned for bikes so an idle intersection won't be green when you get there like if you were a car. You can sometimes get a detection on a car tuned detector by riding right on top of the wire, but it's iffy. I'd imagine camera detectors can be tuned for bicyclists as well, but I have less experience with those. Here's a nice survey of bicycle detection options [1], if you're willing to work with whoever does traffic control near you, this might help get a conversation started. This is focused on US applications, but the ideas should be broadly applicable. [1] https://altago.com/wp-content/uploads/ALTA_Bike_Detection_White_Paper_July2021.pdf https://altago.com/wp-content/uploads/ALTA_Bike_Detection_Wh...
- ergsef 1y ago
  My city has inductive bike sensors at specific intersections but many intersections (even ones with bike lanes) lack them. Cycling infrastructure is so half-assed in the US.
  - throwawaylaptop 1y ago
    Cost per benefit? My friend is a commercial property guy and sometimes has to bring properties up to date for handicapped access. He jokes that with how few handicapped people use the features, he could probably give people $1k each as an apology for not being able to go into the building and be far ahead. I started thinking that for the most part most handicapped people would even take that deal. I think I would.
    - toast0 1y ago
      I don't think it costs that much more to use a D or Q pattern for the inductive loop instead of a circle for new loops. But, if the loops are already there, it is a lot of expense to put in new ones. Adding a loop to bike lanes might be reasonable, or maybe it forces a controller upgrade and that's not reasonable... but if you make the lowest speed through lane and at least one of each protected turn lanes bike accessible (while otherwise doing loop work), that's good. I think the loops are pretty shallow, so if the road has significant rebuild/repair, it's time to address the loop design. The key word for ADA is reasonable accomodation. It does add expense, and not every feature is used often, but it's 35 years since the ADA passed and the US is a lot more accessible now than it was in 1990. The window of reasonable changes over time too, of course.
- bluecalm 1y ago
  Definitely didn't work for my carbon bike. It's annoying because sometimes those are put in place on very minor - major road crossings and those are dangerous to cross on red light (and the minor roads are exactly the ones you want to be on the bike). I had 2 of those on my usual loop when I lived in Poland. Sometimes I just waited for a car but especially on weekends I needed to risk it and run the red light as otherwise I would be stuck there for a few hours.
mike-cardwell 1y ago
Since when did cyclists take notice of traffic lights?
- bluecalm 1y ago
  If you think cyclists break more traffic rule than drivers your view or reality is distorted. Try looking at the data and then around. You just notice them breaking the rules because they are different than you. It's a bias worth correcting.
  - Tade0 1y ago
    I notice them when I cycle. Most common infraction, which I can't understand due to the sheer danger, is running red lights. Wouldn't occur to me in a car, much less in a smaller vehicle.
  - mike-cardwell 1y ago
    Different than me? When I used to cycle, I skipped through traffic lights, when it seemed safe to, and I've seen many other cyclists do the same. It's not a bias, it's an observation. But I mainly said it as a joke, because it's a well known stereotype, for good reason. At least where I am.
abdullahkhalids 1y ago
I have one in my city in Canada. Basically, on the bike you have to mount your bike from the bike path onto the sidewalk and press the pedestrian walk button. That turns the light green. Extremely annoying.
phkahler 1y ago
So they assume perfect vehicle detection? Sensors should be used to speed up a regular cycle. They should not be the only thing changing a light.

We have those in Poland. Sucks if you are on a bike. You need to wait for a car to turn it green for you.

6510 1y ago

In the Netherlands we have ones that detect warm bodies.

hobofan 1y ago
Sucks if you are a zombie...
- vrosas 1y ago
  Here in Zombieland we have cameras that can detect any bipedal movement.
  - arjvik 1y ago
    Sucks if you drive a car
AlecSchueler 1y ago
There's a road closure near me here in Rotterdam which has encouraged some people to get around it by cycling on a short patch of the tram track. It's quite funny to hear the "tram approaching" bell ringing only to look and see a small boy on his bike.

toast0 1y ago

If they're using inductive vehicle detector loops in the pavement, those can be tuned to detect motorcycles and bicycles (probably not carbon fiber bikes though). Where I've seen and used loops tuned for bicycles, they have a different cut pattern and a painted bike to accent positions where the detector is likely to detect you... Sadly, they don't tend to have far back detectors (advance loops) tuned for bikes so an idle intersection won't be green when you get there like if you were a car. You can sometimes get a detection on a car tuned detector by riding right on top of the wire, but it's iffy. I'd imagine camera detectors can be tuned for bicyclists as well, but I have less experience with those. Here's a nice survey of bicycle detection options [1], if you're willing to work with whoever does traffic control near you, this might help get a conversation started. This is focused on US applications, but the ideas should be broadly applicable. [1] https://altago.com/wp-content/uploads/ALTA_Bike_Detection_White_Paper_July2021.pdf https://altago.com/wp-content/uploads/ALTA_Bike_Detection_Wh...

ergsef 1y ago
My city has inductive bike sensors at specific intersections but many intersections (even ones with bike lanes) lack them. Cycling infrastructure is so half-assed in the US.
- throwawaylaptop 1y ago
  Cost per benefit? My friend is a commercial property guy and sometimes has to bring properties up to date for handicapped access. He jokes that with how few handicapped people use the features, he could probably give people $1k each as an apology for not being able to go into the building and be far ahead. I started thinking that for the most part most handicapped people would even take that deal. I think I would.
  - toast0 1y ago
    I don't think it costs that much more to use a D or Q pattern for the inductive loop instead of a circle for new loops. But, if the loops are already there, it is a lot of expense to put in new ones. Adding a loop to bike lanes might be reasonable, or maybe it forces a controller upgrade and that's not reasonable... but if you make the lowest speed through lane and at least one of each protected turn lanes bike accessible (while otherwise doing loop work), that's good. I think the loops are pretty shallow, so if the road has significant rebuild/repair, it's time to address the loop design. The key word for ADA is reasonable accomodation. It does add expense, and not every feature is used often, but it's 35 years since the ADA passed and the US is a lot more accessible now than it was in 1990. The window of reasonable changes over time too, of course.
bluecalm 1y ago
Definitely didn't work for my carbon bike. It's annoying because sometimes those are put in place on very minor - major road crossings and those are dangerous to cross on red light (and the minor roads are exactly the ones you want to be on the bike). I had 2 of those on my usual loop when I lived in Poland. Sometimes I just waited for a car but especially on weekends I needed to risk it and run the red light as otherwise I would be stuck there for a few hours.

mike-cardwell 1y ago

Since when did cyclists take notice of traffic lights?

bluecalm 1y ago
If you think cyclists break more traffic rule than drivers your view or reality is distorted. Try looking at the data and then around. You just notice them breaking the rules because they are different than you. It's a bias worth correcting.
- Tade0 1y ago
  I notice them when I cycle. Most common infraction, which I can't understand due to the sheer danger, is running red lights. Wouldn't occur to me in a car, much less in a smaller vehicle.
- mike-cardwell 1y ago
  Different than me? When I used to cycle, I skipped through traffic lights, when it seemed safe to, and I've seen many other cyclists do the same. It's not a bias, it's an observation. But I mainly said it as a joke, because it's a well known stereotype, for good reason. At least where I am.

abdullahkhalids 1y ago

I have one in my city in Canada. Basically, on the bike you have to mount your bike from the bike path onto the sidewalk and press the pedestrian walk button. That turns the light green. Extremely annoying.

phkahler 1y ago

So they assume perfect vehicle detection? Sensors should be used to speed up a regular cycle. They should not be the only thing changing a light.