Traffic Light Actuation Questions

There should be someone in the County Council with responsibility for traffic lights - Cambridge has
a special team who will deal with such matters. Report them as faulty and thereafter if they are not
corrected you could be forgiven for assuming them to be faulty and not repaired in which case you
can cross with care.

Tony

--
raven-family.comraven-family.comOpen ↗

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to
adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." -- George
Bernard Shaw

John Wilton said:

There is a set of traffic lights on the A6 near my house that don't seem to want to acknowledge my
presence on my bike. I either have to wait for a car going in the appropriate direction to trigger
them or carefully cross the junction.

Has anyone any thoughts on the legality of cycling through them on red - should I get off and push
or is that also illegal ?

I have tried weaving backwards and forwards over the induction loops while pedalling rapidly in a
low gear as suggested in a previous thread but with no response. Any other ideas on how to trigger
them - my bike is a 'gaspipe special' that probably has more steel in it than a SmartCar. Do I
need to invest in a superconducting electromagnet attachment ?

Any idea if the light sensors are tunable and if so who do I talk to to get them tuned to bikes ?

Regards, John Wilton If no-one responds to this then I know its just me !

John Wilton said:

Has anyone any thoughts on the legality of cycling through them on red - should I get off and push
or is that also illegal ?

Riding through is illegal, though if nicked you could probably talk the officer round if you were
polite and willing to demonstrate the problem. He/she might be in a bad mood though... Pushing
should be okay though (what I usually do in such circumstances).

Quoted message said:

I have tried weaving backwards and forwards over the induction loops while pedalling rapidly in a
low gear as suggested in a previous thread but with no response. Any other ideas on how to trigger
them - my bike is a 'gaspipe special' that probably has more steel in it than a SmartCar. Do I
need to invest in a superconducting electromagnet attachment ?

Doubt it, but have a word with whatever council it is looks after them. They can usually be tweaked
(so it seems) and will be if you ask. There are a couple of sets in Dundee that have been fiddled
with and work now where they didn't before.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

"John Wilton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Has anyone any thoughts on the legality of cycling through them on red - should I get off and push
or is that also illegal ?

I think that to be legal you have to *carry* the bike across with wheels completely off the ground,
as pushing a bike is deemed to be "driving" it!

John Wilton said:

There is a set of traffic lights on the A6 near my house that don't seem to want to acknowledge my
presence on my bike. I either have to wait for a car going in the appropriate direction to trigger
them or carefully cross the junction.

Has anyone any thoughts on the legality of cycling through them on red - should I get off and push
or is that also illegal ?

I have tried weaving backwards and forwards over the induction loops while pedalling rapidly in a
low gear as suggested in a previous thread but with no response. Any other ideas on how to trigger
them - my bike is a 'gaspipe special' that probably has more steel in it than a SmartCar. Do I
need to invest in a superconducting electromagnet attachment ?

Any idea if the light sensors are tunable and if so who do I talk to to get them tuned to bikes ?

Yes they can be tuned. Yes you can complain to the local council. No they won't do anything
about it. (IME)

I've got one set with the same problem. Nowadays, if there are no cars visible behind me and no cars
already waiting then I treat it as a give way. IMO it is safer NOT to stop if at all possible as I
can clear the junction much faster if I don't have to worry about clipping back in.

I have another set that you have to approach at >20mph if they are going to change. Fortunately it
is rare that there isn't a car waiting when I reach them on my way home and I'm usually doing >25mph
anyway although by choice I would start slowing earlier rather than belting up to the lights and
then slamming the brakes on.

Regards,

Tim.

--
God said, "div D = rho, div B = 0, curl E = - @B/@t, curl H = J + @D/@t," and there was light.

tjw.hn.orgtjw.hn.orgOpen ↗ locofungus.btinternet.co.uklocofungus.btinternet.co.ukOpen ↗

"John Wilton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

There is a set of traffic lights on the A6 near my house that don't seem

to

Quoted message said:

want to acknowledge my presence on my bike. I either have to wait for a

car

Quoted message said:

going in the appropriate direction to trigger them or carefully cross the junction.

Has anyone any thoughts on the legality of cycling through them on red - should I get off and push
or is that also illegal ?

jump em ! (feel the thrill)

traffic lights are for cars, anyway 🙂

as long as there is nothing coming and it's safe to do so, just go for it.

Albert

John Wilton said:

There is a set of traffic lights on the A6 near my house that don't seem to want to acknowledge my
presence on my bike. I either have to wait for a car going in the appropriate direction to trigger
them or carefully cross the junction.

Has anyone any thoughts on the legality of cycling through them on red - should I get off and push
or is that also illegal ?

The Highway Code says "If the traffic lights are not working, proceed with caution." It then
references RTA 1988 sect 36n and TSRGD regs 10 & 33. However none of these address what constitutes
"not working". Me I'd say they're busted but others would disagree.

Quoted message said:

I have tried weaving backwards and forwards over the induction loops while pedalling rapidly in a
low gear as suggested in a previous thread but with no response. Any other ideas on how to trigger
them - my bike is a 'gaspipe special' that probably has more steel in it than a SmartCar. Do I need
to invest in a superconducting electromagnet attachment ?

Any idea if the light sensors are tunable and if so who do I talk to to get them tuned to bikes ?

Yes they are adjustable. I've found ringing the local County Council Highways (not Borough) gets
results. Arm yourself with location of lights and if poss the number printed on the control box. My
most recent complaint got them fixed within 24 hours. If they don't fix them, complain again.

Tim
--

fast and gripping, non pompous, glossy and credible.

"Adrian Boliston" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think that to be legal you have to *carry* the bike across with wheels completely off the
ground, as pushing a bike is deemed to be "driving" it!

Under the circumstances described the law would be a complete ass if you were prosecuted.

T

Paul "Speed" [email hidden] "Camera" Smith of Scotland, UK wrote:
( Asimple forward facing radar reflector would soon answer the ) question.

The scythes on the wheels are pretty good radar reflectors.

Tim Woodall said:

Yes they can be tuned. Yes you can complain to the local council. No they won't do anything about
it. (IME)

Quoted message said:

I've got one set with the same problem. Nowadays, if there are no cars visible behind me and no
cars already waiting then I treat it as a give way. IMO it is safer NOT to stop if at all possible
as I can clear the junction much faster if I don't have to worry about clipping back in.

Quoted message said:

I have another set that you have to approach at >20mph if they are going to change. Fortunately it
is rare that there isn't a car waiting when I reach them on my way home and I'm usually doing

Quoted message said:

25mph anyway although by choice I would start slowing earlier rather than belting up to the lights

and then slamming the brakes on.

Many lights trigger change by doppler radar. Is the main problem that bikes provide a poor radar
reflection? Or is it that they are usually travelling below the trigger threshold speed?

A simple forward facing radar reflector would soon answer the question.
--
Paul Smith Scotland, UK safespeed.org.uksafespeed.org.ukOpen ↗ please remove "XYZ" to reply by email speed
cameras cost lives

There is a set at a T-junction at which I always wanted to turn right onto the main road. The
council put new pedestrian lights in (which I'd been onto them for ages to do). After that, my bike
did not trigger the lights.

I rang the help number "Clarence" in Wiltshire, and eventually I got onto the engineer who told me
which part of the induction loop would be activated by the bike. Unfortunately this was the bit at
the extreme left, which means that if I hold the bike there, some [censored] in a car then comes up
alongside me and overtakes me as we turn right.

So yes, do 'phone up, and if they can't help you then try escalating. Ask your local police dept
what their view is. Then go to the local paper. It would help if there are kids riding to school,
but I guess that on the A6 they probably aren't.

Peter.

"John Wilton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

There is a set of traffic lights on the A6 near my house that don't seem

to

Quoted message said:

want to acknowledge my presence on my bike. I either have to wait for a

car

Quoted message said:

going in the appropriate direction to trigger them or carefully cross the junction.

Has anyone any thoughts on the legality of cycling through them on red - should I get off and push
or is that also illegal ?

I have tried weaving backwards and forwards over the induction loops while pedalling rapidly in a
low gear as suggested in a previous thread but with no response. Any other ideas on how to trigger
them - my bike is a

'gaspipe

Quoted message said:

special' that probably has more steel in it than a SmartCar. Do I need to invest in a
superconducting electromagnet attachment ?

Any idea if the light sensors are tunable and if so who do I talk to to

get

Quoted message said:

them tuned to bikes ?

Regards, John Wilton If no-one responds to this then I know its just me !

Tim Woodall <[email hidden]> wrote:
:>
: Yes they can be tuned. Yes you can complain to the local council. No they won't do anything about
: it. (IME)

Depends on the council. York are excellent at doing this if asked.

arthur

--
Arthur Clune clune.orgclune.orgOpen ↗ Power is delightful. Absolute power is absolutely delightful -
Lord Lester

On Wed, 9 Apr 2003 10:54:47 +0000 (UTC), Geraint Jones scrawled: ) The scythes on the wheels are
pretty good radar reflectors.

Look, scythes aren't fitted as standard. If you're such a proponent then I advise getting the
council to provide some sort of scythe grant for the underfunded like myself.

J-P
--
James Ellroy's doppelganger was cornholed with the biggest vibrator I'd ever seen in Russia.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

On Wed, 9 Apr 2003 10:54:47 +0000 (UTC), Geraint Jones scrawled: ) The scythes on the wheels are
pretty good radar reflectors.

Look, scythes aren't fitted as standard. If you're such a proponent then I advise getting the
council to provide some sort of scythe grant for the underfunded like myself.

Doesn't the University offer a deal on scythes if you get a bus pass to Blackbird Leys?

Colin

"John Wilton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

There is a set of traffic lights on the A6 near my house that don't seem to want to acknowledge my
presence on my bike. I either have to wait for a car going in the appropriate direction to trigger
them or carefully cross the junction.

Has anyone any thoughts on the legality of cycling through them on red - should I get off and push
or is that also illegal ?

Nope, dismounting and pushing is, as far as I know, perfectly OK; it's certainly the only way to
legally get across the road on a pedestrians-only (as opposed to the ones with an extra bit for
bikes) pelican crossing.

David E. Belcher

Dept. of Chemistry, University of York

On Wed, 9 Apr 2003 12:33:39 +0100, Colin Blackburn scrawled: ) Doesn't the University offer a deal
on scythes if you get a bus pass to ) Blackbird Leys?

Yes: in line with the other great offers from the university, it's buy one, get another for the same
price as the first.

J-P
--
Permorphous polyvert

j-p.s said:

On Wed, 9 Apr 2003 12:33:39 +0100, Colin Blackburn scrawled: ) Doesn't the University offer a deal
on scythes if you get a bus pass to ) Blackbird Leys?

Yes: in line with the other great offers from the university, it's buy one, get another for the
same price as the first.

I thought it was get three for the price of four.

Tony

"John Wilton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have tried weaving backwards and forwards over the induction loops while pedalling rapidly in a
low gear as suggested in a previous thread but with no response. Any other ideas on how to trigger
them - my bike is a 'gaspipe special' that probably has more steel in it than a SmartCar.

Try laying your bike over on the induction loops until it's almost flat. You obviously have to put a
foot down but don't need to dismount fully to do this.

--
Dave...

Arthur Clune wrote in message ...

Quoted message said:

Tim Woodall <[email hidden]> wrote:
:>
: Yes they can be tuned. Yes you can complain to the local council. No they won't do anything about
: it. (IME)

Depends on the council. York are excellent at doing this if asked.

arthur

--
Arthur Clune clune.orgclune.orgOpen ↗ Power is delightful. Absolute power is absolutely delightful -
Lord Lester

After some phoning round to find the right person to talk to I have just been told by Area Traffic
Control that they will adjust the setting. We shall see......

Thanks for your help, John

(Dave Kahn) said:

"John Wilton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have tried weaving backwards and forwards over the induction loops while pedalling rapidly in a
low gear as suggested in a previous thread but with no response. Any other ideas on how to
trigger them - my bike is a 'gaspipe special' that probably has more steel in it than a SmartCar.

Try laying your bike over on the induction loops until it's almost flat. You obviously have to put
a foot down but don't need to dismount fully to do this.

Is this done by careering upto the lights at full whack, slamming the steering over and yanking on
the back brake? What we called a "broadie" when I was a lad and it was all field round here? I
rather hope so.

Tim
--

fast and gripping, non pompous, glossy and credible.