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.
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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.
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?
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.
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.
Obviously, with I creating this, I agree, but the difference of pushing a button & approach sensors to do the same amount of time when activated, is nothing time wise important.
Also, that is when the whole switch for bicyclists given ride of way system works, not uncommon here for them to not work.Maybe, but in bicyclists experiences here, are just riding on roadways of heavy traffic & taking what the state laws are, it does not matter. That is why when I can, in cities, take sidewalks. I have had motorists just hate that I take whole foot from curve & ride around damage on roadways, it is nearly all our roadways (here it is fixed only before elections, by county), ride around the damage, or object(s), or in worst cases/most travelled by automobiles roadways ride around most damaged parts.
You what, we might be thinking off different bicycle lanes, sorry. We have, South Fl., only three, 1-completely separated from automobiles, but mixed pedestrians use with next to no protective barriers, some public buses that are separated in inside lane, not for bicyclists & in the bicyclists path, non-motorized pedestrians- traveling by feet, when people are following the rules, but it is super restrictive path/north & south & is so far away from our Ag. & Rural-Unincorporated area, that is it. Mostly just for not using US1, which is right next to it. 1-not separated at all, just lines painted on the road, on the right of farthest right lane & 1-REALLY IS NOT FOR BICYCLIST, almost completely just grass, never rode it, because it is the long & back country beautiful route & risk tire punctures. Really, it is for horse riders & ATVs-Dirt Bikes. Mostly, when it comes to the mostly used non-separated bicyclists lane, I used the safer option of sidewalks, but they are non-existent until cities.
You are talking about carefully going from bicyclists lane to the traffic and back to bicyclists lane, so you are probably using just lines painted on the ground bicyclists lane or it would waste more time?
I have had annoyed automobiles drivers do dangerous actions, like when I started played chicken. So much so that I had to contact cops, about the risk to my health, they stationed a cop car hidden at every other connecting East/West lanes (best way I can put it), just for one-night. Saw pulling over the violators, ended the chicken BLANK. The annoying behaviors got better, on the least traffic roads, when I rode the same least possible traffic ways enough, took the whole foot from the curve, that some bicyclist are scared to do & yelled at automobiles violators what the laws are. The drivers & home owners got to know me, then in my unincorporated area the reverse happened. That is right I actually had automobiles stop wait for me enter spot sign intersections & allow me to be first to ride through.Ah, you are from the US!
I guess totally different situation to Germany, where bike commuters are (at least in the cities) just common part of normal traffic. Not perfect yet but I guess orders of magnitude better already than at your place.
So way to go! Florida would probably be a great place to do everything by bike, once the infrastructure is there: Mostly flat and no winter issues. :-)Yes, it is!
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.
It amazes me how many people don’t realize this is literally the case in parking lots. I mean, bikes and and pedestrians are stuck making sure drivers at least see them, and motorists are dicks about it, but still.
With all the overpopulating of South Fl., some rural & spacial areas the politicians have designed more condos/housing, that even drivers are suffering a lot more as well. While I have no automobile, I do have to use roommate’s for Vet. visits. On one such visit, I decide to also travel to nearest post office (thumbs up for only USPS), should take at most 30-45-minutes, only because of so many stop signs, took 2±hrs… There was the only north/south mixed use (bicyclist, public buses, emergency vehicles & supposed to be only unmotorized pedestrians), separated & continuous roadway, with traffic lighted-push button crosswalks intersections, that forced me wait for 5-separate public buses to ride up (separately), wait & ride through, before able to drive through, NOT A SINGLE BICYCLIST CAUSING THE DELAY. Traffic after that just to cross or turn onto US1, line of automobiles from before mixed use pedestrian roadway to connecting intersection to US1. Then there was tons of rosd construction, which like most greater cities areas, South Fl. is famous for. I called our information line, we can no longer connect straight to public services & at least my commissioner dismiss helping to get stuff done with other public services, & was able file a complaint. What good that does, no idea.
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…
Sure, I do not think it is illegal, unlike Jaywalking. I go if there are no automobiles, but with South Fl.’s southern areas population always increasing*, there are lesser & lesser chances that there are no automobiles.
*- With the northern areas (more political power) getting the state-county politicians to building a ton of cheap condos-houses in formerly lesser populated density-traffic southern areas & away from northern areas’ tourist & their already high population density-traffic for ever increasing low-minimum wage workers to live away from northern areas,
The lack of critical thinking causing me to reply with this is unbelievable,
To all those repliers-readers claiming that pushing the crosswalk button to cause the traffic lights to automatically go from green to yellow and then red, stopping the automobiles sooner, for the bicyclists wanting to cross, eliminates the benefits to The Livable Earth & Living Beings. As I have already said, in other reply, it does not because the automobiles were going to stop & go any ways, or there is no need to press the crosswalk button in the first place, can just ride through an empty enough intersections.
Another huge benefit if my idea was done, then more people would be incentivized to use a bicycle, run, jog or/& walk, instead of using any vehicle (even greener electric & Etc. vehicles) is way greener, in many ways.
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.
Absolutely not
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.I mean that’s just holding the environment hostage and promising to harm it less than you already plan to if you get your own way.
You are not thinking straight, the automobiles are going to have to stop, it is just having them stop earlier. Not increasing the the stopping & starting of the automobiles. Holding back insulting sarcasm.
