I too find it a hassle to get off bike and press cross-walk buttons and then get back in lane. Sometimes I need to cross a few lanes to do so. In this regard I like commuting closer to 'rush hour' than very early in morning, because then I can count on a car to set off the sensors. Actually in the three cases that bug me most it is the school traffic that helped, so with school out for the summer I find I must dismount bike more often.

Some places the city has installed a button by side of road to press, but this causes problems as well. With left turns I need to still cross straight lane. Also this button is far back from stop line and one must nearly touch curb to reach it. This puts me out of traffic lane which immediately results in getting ignored by traffic. The location this bugs me is where there is a right turn lane with no inductive sensor and I am going straight, so I must navigate thru right turning traffice to press button then get back to straight lane.

The dismounting, while annoying is a good break from riding, a bit of leg stretching from walking and a very tiny bit of upper body due to carrying bike. Yes I am focusing on the postives, not the negatives (having to walk across lanes of traffic)

The problem also with laying bike down to trigger inductive sensors is that one does not get instant feedback if it worked, even after triggering it may take some time for the pedistrian signal (the early warning of a light change) to occur.

Not sure about the magnet as relates to how the inductive sensor works. Perhaps a thick steel plate would work just as well if not better?

Al