CliffordK

Most the ones around here are circles with the wires heading across the road, not parallel to it. I've laid my bike directly on the sensors before, sometimes it helps, sometimes not.

We have a local median stirp MUP that I find very annoying. It does have button triggers that one can hit if one stops. But, It doesn't trigger the walk sign without hitting the button which is awkward to get to, and may loose a full light cycle.

I've determined that if there is a green light for cars in both directions on both sides of me, then there is no cross traffic and I just go.

RidingMatthew

that is really cool. I think they might be switching some around here. I will have to as my friend with the city. I know that I line up on the middle wire and it tends to change the light for me. Most of the time.

wphamilton

This especially the last part, the wheel directly over the wire. Three inches off and I won't trip it.

Until I read that link or a similar one several years ago I could never get a light to trip. Since then, I seldom have a problem.

cyccommute 

Don't you feel like the guy with magic fire among the savages?

tarwheel 

Some of the sensors work around here, others don't. Apparently they can be adjusted for sensitivity but it's not always done properly. I have complained to the city about sensors that don't work but nothing is ever done about it. So, I have a couple of lights on my commute route that I run, after coming to complete stop and making sure the coast is clear. These lights will not change unless a car or truck trips the sensor; they will not trip for bikes no matter how long you wait.

tsl

Make sure you're complaining to the correct municipality.

Around here, the city does streetlights, but not traffic lights. Traffic lights in an olive green housing are maintained by the county. Traffic lights in a yellow housing are maintained by the state. The county does a good job of passing things up the line to the state. The city, not so much.

Remember that I work for local government, so I know how the sausage is made.

spare_wheel

my dry season commuter is carbon with carbon wheels and is never detected by loop detectors without dismounting and dragging the chain rings across the edge of the loop. this gives me a terrific excuse to do what i always do...blow magic glowing traffic orbs. and if i make you look bad...well tough :NC17:ing cookies.

jfowler85

My local bike laws have within them an exception to red lights if your bike does not trip the sensor and you have to wait "an unreasonable amount of time" for the light to turn. That is obviously open to interpretation, but I would like to think that it wouldn't take too much to explain to a judge, or even the citing officer, of why you felt it prudent to run a red.

jfowler85

I like mine stuffed with pineapple and bacon

fietsbob

the 5 way intersection I just push the Pedestrian Crossing Button , or having been here over 15 years I know the sequence and timing of that intersection.

Hypno Toad

I don't have an issue with using the beg button, I often do. But when making a left turn, there's no beg button without crossing two (or more lanes of traffic). I actually did this earlier this week, in the left turn lane, car behind me was too nice leaving too much room and wasn't close enough to trip the sensor. I dismounted, crossed to the beg button to get the light to change.

Likewise, I have no issue waiting for an opening and crossing against the light - I do this just as often as hitting the beg button. This is legal in Minnesota for bikes and motorcycles, but not legal in all states.