What's your intersections per mile number?
#1
born again cyclist
Thread Starter
What's your intersections per mile number?
One of the things that really lowers my average speed on my commutes is the fact that i have A LOT of 4-way stop and traffic light intersections on my urban street commuting route. because intersections are where most of the dangerous interactions between cars/bikes/pedestrians occur, having an intersection-heavy route can be a hindrance to maintaining a high rate of speed, unless you're on the more reckless end of the riding spectrum and disregard traffic laws altogether. on the plus side, all of that slowing down and restarting is a good workout.
i thought it would be interesting to compare how "intersectiony" my regular commuting route is to others. so here's how it works, add up all of the controlled intersections you encounter on your regular bike commute route and then divide by the total miles. for definition purposes, let's call a controlled intersection any point where 2 or more roads, streets, MUPs, etc. come together where right of way is controlled in your direction of travel by a stop sign, traffic light, roundabout, or some other such device. don't include intersections where you have 100% right of way 100% of the time. although those can certainly be dangerous too (perhaps even more so in some circumstances), this exercise is focused on intersections where you encounter a controlling device in your direction of travel.
for me: 45 controlled intersections / 5 mile route = 9 IPM's (Intersections Per Mile)
so, what's your IPM number?
disclaimer: if you don't have a regularish commute route and take a different route to your place of employment every single morning, then this thread isn't for you.
i thought it would be interesting to compare how "intersectiony" my regular commuting route is to others. so here's how it works, add up all of the controlled intersections you encounter on your regular bike commute route and then divide by the total miles. for definition purposes, let's call a controlled intersection any point where 2 or more roads, streets, MUPs, etc. come together where right of way is controlled in your direction of travel by a stop sign, traffic light, roundabout, or some other such device. don't include intersections where you have 100% right of way 100% of the time. although those can certainly be dangerous too (perhaps even more so in some circumstances), this exercise is focused on intersections where you encounter a controlling device in your direction of travel.
for me: 45 controlled intersections / 5 mile route = 9 IPM's (Intersections Per Mile)
so, what's your IPM number?
disclaimer: if you don't have a regularish commute route and take a different route to your place of employment every single morning, then this thread isn't for you.
#2
Senior Member
I guess my intersections per mile is just under 3 on a seven mile commute (20 intersections.) Only two controlled by traffic signals in the morning (there are two others, but they are flashing yellow during my commute time.) One traffic circle. 7 crosswalks. 3 stop signs. The rest are uncontrolled intersections and rarely require a stop.
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Alpharetta, GA
Posts: 15,280
Bikes: Nashbar Road
Mentioned: 71 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2934 Post(s)
Liked 341 Times
in
228 Posts
My Greenway route: IPM is .65
Regular roads: IPM is 2.3
Which is a big part of why I default to the Greenway. Waiting on lights on average (including the times I hit it green) costs me I guess five or six minutes.
Regular roads: IPM is 2.3
Which is a big part of why I default to the Greenway. Waiting on lights on average (including the times I hit it green) costs me I guess five or six minutes.
#4
Plays in traffic
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 6,971
Bikes: 1996 Litespeed Classic, 2006 Trek Portland, 2013 Ribble Winter/Audax, 2016 Giant Talon 4
Mentioned: 21 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 76 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 14 Times
in
9 Posts
While I use all sort of routes and variations, the vast majority of my commutes slot into one of three routes going to work, and two coming home.
Going to work
26 stops, 4.5 miles, 5.7 stops per mile: Direct route, par time 20 minutes
23 stops, 9.3 miles, 2.5 stops per mile: Hills, parks, cemetery and trails route, par time 35 minutes
20 stops, 16.3 miles, 1.2 stops per mile: Long loop (Pittsford), par time 60 minutes (9 miles non-stop on the MUP)
Coming home
27 stops, 4.6 miles, 5.8 stops per mile: Direct route, par time 20 minutes
17 stops, 13.3 miles, 1.3 stops per mile: Brooks Landing cut to long loop (Clover St), par time 50 minutes, (6 miles non-stop on the MUP)
If anything, I've missed a few stops riding the routes in my head today.
You can see why I use the direct route only in foul weather. OTOH, when riding it regularly in the winter, what I lose in endurance I gain in awesome sprinting legs.
Plus, the number of stops in my commutes means that starting from a stop, I can clip-in two to three times faster than anyone else in my club. I'm clipped-in and gone while they're still wobbling around in the intersection looking at their feet.
Of course, my brake pad budget is pretty high.
Going to work
26 stops, 4.5 miles, 5.7 stops per mile: Direct route, par time 20 minutes
23 stops, 9.3 miles, 2.5 stops per mile: Hills, parks, cemetery and trails route, par time 35 minutes
20 stops, 16.3 miles, 1.2 stops per mile: Long loop (Pittsford), par time 60 minutes (9 miles non-stop on the MUP)
Coming home
27 stops, 4.6 miles, 5.8 stops per mile: Direct route, par time 20 minutes
17 stops, 13.3 miles, 1.3 stops per mile: Brooks Landing cut to long loop (Clover St), par time 50 minutes, (6 miles non-stop on the MUP)
If anything, I've missed a few stops riding the routes in my head today.
You can see why I use the direct route only in foul weather. OTOH, when riding it regularly in the winter, what I lose in endurance I gain in awesome sprinting legs.
Plus, the number of stops in my commutes means that starting from a stop, I can clip-in two to three times faster than anyone else in my club. I'm clipped-in and gone while they're still wobbling around in the intersection looking at their feet.
Of course, my brake pad budget is pretty high.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: La La Land (We love it!)
Posts: 6,301
Bikes: Gilmour road, Curtlo road; both steel (of course)
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 273 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
9 Posts
Interesting post.
I have 14 in 3.5 miles, so only 4 IPMs; not too bad...
I have 14 in 3.5 miles, so only 4 IPMs; not too bad...
__________________
Today, I believe my jurisdiction ends here...
Today, I believe my jurisdiction ends here...
#6
Disco Infiltrator
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,446
Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem
Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3126 Post(s)
Liked 2,102 Times
in
1,366 Posts
Man, it really depends how I count. There are a couple places I ride past unmanned guard shacks and a couple places on MUPs where no one obeys stop signs.
__________________
Genesis 49:16-17
Genesis 49:16-17
#8
Truck Driver
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 328
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Im glad for my route. I ride 15miles one way with 15 intersections. But 13 of the intersections are all in the first 2 miles. The last 2 intersections are when the MUP crosses the main road somewhere in the middle of the route. Pretty peaceful ride and almost perfectly flat to boot.
So technically 1 IPM.
My way home is never really the same way, so I can't calculate that.
So technically 1 IPM.
My way home is never really the same way, so I can't calculate that.
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 304
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 82 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
Boy do I have it good.
Inbound: 7/12 = 0.58
Outbound 5/12 = 0.42
With this commute, I can keep it moving pretty good and I guess I shouldn't complain when I get stopped.
Inbound: 7/12 = 0.58
Outbound 5/12 = 0.42
With this commute, I can keep it moving pretty good and I guess I shouldn't complain when I get stopped.
#12
Keepin it Wheel
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: San Diego
Posts: 10,244
Bikes: Surly CrossCheck, Krampus
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26 Post(s)
Liked 3,417 Times
in
2,526 Posts
I count 10 stopsigns or stoplights on my 5.5mi route, so IPM 1.8.
I think that's actually forgetting a couple other lights that are green like 99% of the time (like one for a school that is only active when kids are coming in&out, one for a park/firehouse)
I think that's actually forgetting a couple other lights that are green like 99% of the time (like one for a school that is only active when kids are coming in&out, one for a park/firehouse)
#13
aka Tom Reingold
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,498
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
Mentioned: 511 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7345 Post(s)
Liked 2,452 Times
in
1,430 Posts
Great question for me and one big reason I think I have the luckiest commute route.
NYC is notorious for insane traffic. If you haven't been to NYC, you have no idea. On north-south avenues, there are TWENTY intersections per mile. But I don't have to ride on the streets for most of my commute. I ride a bike path which has virtually no intersections, and that path is most of my 13-mile commute. I just counted on the map. There are about 30 intersections on my route, so that's 2.3 intersections per mile. When I first started taking this path, I was astonished at how fast I got to my destinations. I got there early!
NYC is notorious for insane traffic. If you haven't been to NYC, you have no idea. On north-south avenues, there are TWENTY intersections per mile. But I don't have to ride on the streets for most of my commute. I ride a bike path which has virtually no intersections, and that path is most of my 13-mile commute. I just counted on the map. There are about 30 intersections on my route, so that's 2.3 intersections per mile. When I first started taking this path, I was astonished at how fast I got to my destinations. I got there early!
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
#14
born again cyclist
Thread Starter
thanks for the responses all. as i suspected, my IPM of 9.0 appears to be on the very high side. oh well, not much i can do about it unless i take a different job located somewhere else and move to a different place.
your long way has an IPM 3x greater than your short way?
that seems counter-intuitive.
your long way has an IPM 3x greater than your short way?
that seems counter-intuitive.
#15
Did I catch a niner?
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: a van down by the river
Posts: 542
Bikes: Vassago Fisticuff/Surly Ogre/Surly Pugsley/Surly Pugsley 29+
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
My long way is about 3 miles, yes the long way is not ideal. Sometimes I run an errand before work or after and the long way is what I usually have to take to get the errands done. The short way is if its just home to work or work to home.
#16
born again cyclist
Thread Starter
^ gotcha.
i was mistakenly assuming that your long way would have incorporated some kind of off-street trail or MUP that would have most likely lowered your IPM.
i can take a slightly longer route that takes advantage of an MUP, but getting to/from the MUP is still loaded with intersections, in total it's 44 controlled intersections over 8 miles for an IPM of 5.5. that's better than the 9.0 IPM of my regular route, but 44 controlled intersections is still roughly the same total number. that's just life in the big city, i suppose.
i was mistakenly assuming that your long way would have incorporated some kind of off-street trail or MUP that would have most likely lowered your IPM.
i can take a slightly longer route that takes advantage of an MUP, but getting to/from the MUP is still loaded with intersections, in total it's 44 controlled intersections over 8 miles for an IPM of 5.5. that's better than the 9.0 IPM of my regular route, but 44 controlled intersections is still roughly the same total number. that's just life in the big city, i suppose.
Last edited by Steely Dan; 11-11-15 at 05:27 PM.
#17
Unlisted member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 6,192
Bikes: Specialized Hardrock
Mentioned: 29 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1376 Post(s)
Liked 432 Times
in
297 Posts
I haven't counted the intersections for roads, but my old route to work had 8 railroad crossings in a 5 mile commute. I was a pro at waiting for trains then.
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: midwest
Posts: 2,528
Bikes: 2018 Roubaix Expert Di2, 2016 Diverge Expert X1
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 482 Post(s)
Liked 151 Times
in
105 Posts
3/4 . 60% of my commute is off road. 30 mi RT.
Last edited by GeneO; 11-11-15 at 07:30 PM.
#19
incazzare.
I'm in NYC and have 35 intersections over 5.5 miles. That's only 6.4 "IPM", which is pretty good for NYC. It reflects the fact that a big chunk of my ride is over the Manhattan Bridge and along the East River bike path where there are no intersections to speak of. There are pedestrians to deal with there, however.
__________________
1964 JRJ (Bob Jackson), 1973 Wes Mason, 1974 Raleigh Gran Sport, 1986 Schwinn High Sierra, 2000ish Colian (Colin Laing), 2011 Dick Chafe, 2013 Velo Orange Pass Hunter
1964 JRJ (Bob Jackson), 1973 Wes Mason, 1974 Raleigh Gran Sport, 1986 Schwinn High Sierra, 2000ish Colian (Colin Laing), 2011 Dick Chafe, 2013 Velo Orange Pass Hunter
#20
Cycle Dallas
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Land of Gar, TX
Posts: 3,777
Bikes: Dulcinea--2017 Kona Rove & a few others
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 197 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
5 Posts
26-mile, one-way commute. I lost count of intersection control devices at around 60. My brain is tired now.
#22
Full Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: North East
Posts: 458
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 95 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 50 Times
in
29 Posts
https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/...l#post18118817
NYC - 126 lights in 7.5 miles. The west side greenway adds 1.5 miles to the commute and it is not practical to go as fast on much of it. See the mup thread as well - https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cy...-all-mups.html
NYC - 126 lights in 7.5 miles. The west side greenway adds 1.5 miles to the commute and it is not practical to go as fast on much of it. See the mup thread as well - https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cy...-all-mups.html
#23
Tortoise Wins by a Hare!
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Looney Tunes, IL
Posts: 7,398
Bikes: Wabi Special FG, Raleigh Roper, Nashbar AL-1, Miyata One Hundred, '70 Schwinn Lemonator and More!!
Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1549 Post(s)
Liked 941 Times
in
504 Posts
Current most favored route:
In to work: 3 stop signs and 4 lights in 12 miles. .583 IPM
Coming home: 6 stop signs and 4 lights. .917 IPM
My other routes have similar IPM's.
There have been a few times where I caught all the lights green and safely rolled the signs and never stopped once.
I also have 4 rail crossings, but don't get stopped by a train often.
In to work: 3 stop signs and 4 lights in 12 miles. .583 IPM
Coming home: 6 stop signs and 4 lights. .917 IPM
My other routes have similar IPM's.
There have been a few times where I caught all the lights green and safely rolled the signs and never stopped once.
I also have 4 rail crossings, but don't get stopped by a train often.
#24
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 9,201
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1186 Post(s)
Liked 289 Times
in
177 Posts
12 lights or potential stop in 41 miles round trip. I don't count stop signs I can roll through. If I ride in the shoulder and encounter a stop sign it's always clear for a right turn. 0.3 stops/mile.
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: IL
Posts: 58
Bikes: Breezer Uptown 8, Fuji Tread, Montague Navigator
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Suburban side of train: 2.66 ipm: 11 stop signs and 5 stop lights over 6 miles. There are many more which are either uncontrolled or controlled only for cross traffic. I rarely have to stop at any but 2 of the signs and 3 of the lights, so in practice ipm is 0.83.
Downtown side of train: 14 ipm: 14 lights over 1 mile. They are timed so I usually have to stop for 5 of them. Practical ipm is 5.
Downtown side of train: 14 ipm: 14 lights over 1 mile. They are timed so I usually have to stop for 5 of them. Practical ipm is 5.