Originally Posted by
wahoonc
When you roll up on an intersection with the sensors you will see where they cut the pavement, inserted the wires and put epoxy of some sort back in the cuts. They are usually an oblong box shape with cut leading to the next lane and then to the box on the curb. Not all streets have them, some lights are controlled strictly by timers or computers using other means of traffic sensing.
Aaron

We have a bunch of these... usually shaped as hexagons. I have recently been experimenting. I now never get off my bike to press the pedestrians button (which I consider dangerous...) Rather, I have been cover the front portion of the hexagon with my front wheel. So far the lights seem to work for me.