Short green light
 

What can I do about a short green light? I need to cross 10 lanes of traffic, 3 straight, 1 right, and 1 left turn lane in each direction, east and west, on a regular basis. It took me a couple days, but I finally figured out how to trigger the light so I don't have to run it any more, but that doesn't help me much because the light is so short.

The lane numbers below start with lane 1 as the first one I cross and 10 being the last.

The light is yellow by the time I pass the first or second lane and generally red by the time I'm at lane 9 or 10. I've only once managed to blast through it and was just passing lane 10 to the other side as the light turned red. If I stop behind even one car rather than pass it to go to the front, I'm screwed. I have noticed that the light is marginally longer when there are 2 cars lined up, but about 85% of time, it's just me, maybe 10% of the time, there's one car, and there is seldom more than 2 cars.

There really isn't any way around this street to get to where I need to go.

I guess I could go back to cautiously running the red light since traffic comes in waves and there aren't cars waiting like when I get my green, but there's gotta be a better solution.

Wait for a walk signal and cross as a pedestrian? Can you give a link to Google Maps so we can see the intersection?

Are you coming under pressure because the other traffic has a green light before you clear the intersection?
Still being in an intersection when the light goes red shouldn't be a problem, providing there is sufficient time before other traffic gets the green light.

Most of the large intersections I come into contact with have the lights go red as soon as there is no waiting traffic, but there is sufficient time for a slow vehicle to clear the junction before the next phase of the light cycle begins.

An alternative is to talk with authorities about the signal timing.

Around here, the signal control boxes are marked by who belongs to them, either the county or the state. Find out who and contact that Department of Transportation.

Same thing with induction loops (sensors) that don't detect a bike.

Of course, you could always use it as a training opportunity to work on those standing-start sprints... ;)

I go thru one of those regularly. Only 5 lanes to cross, but it's only green for 2 seconds (and I've timed it). By the time I've got my foot on the pedal and started to move, it's already yellow. I watch for the other light to turn yellow. If the other traffic is stopping and the way is clear, I start moving before I have green. That way I have a chance to make it to the other side by red.

Call the city streets department and make a report, ask for a report number, and ask for a return call when it's fixed. In most states there is a requirement to meet safe traffic standards, and that includes getting all vehicles across the street on a green light.

Honestly, this light doesn't sound like it would be very safe for *cars*.

I agree. I can accelerate faster than most cars do at intersections, and I'm usually past the intersection before they are.

The light might still be safe though if there is sufficient delay between red light for you and the green light for cross traffic. Plus, if you entered the intersection legally, you can proceed even after the light turns red and the cross traffic is supposed to wait for you (usually it does).

Oh thank heavens I'm not the only one who races cars across intersections. No matter what their speed is, or whatever stunt and drama they pull, if I make it to the opposite crosswalk first, I win.

I ride through one of those lights often also. It lasts about 5 seconds. If there is one car behind me it lasts 8 seconds and then 11 seconds of there are two cars.

Its a major clog if there are alot of cars waiting.

+1
Walk signals can really help out if you have the option. On my way to/from work I have to cross FM2499 (5 lanes south, 4 north) and I can never get that light to trigger (overhead camera one). There is a school nearby so there is one crosswalk that crosses the north side. When I trigger it after a minute or four the darn thing shuts down 2499 long enough for me to go north on 2499 1/8th of a mile then take a left on a sidestreet and I'm almost out of sight before I see cars moving again.

Sometimes I feel bad about doing it but those people are driving a good 60-70mph and think they are on a highway so I need as much time to clear the road as I could get.

My concern wasn't that of me holding up traffic because I couldn't clear the intersection in time, but rather that of my safety and wondering if people can see me before they start going. It's been more than once that some car started moving in lane 9 before I could clear the intersection. Three cars cars went through in front of me before I could go and people in lanes 7 8 were getting angry because I was stopped in the middle of the street on their green light. One guy threatened to run me over.

Anyhow, I went exploring the area and found an intersection about 1000 ft up the street where I have a stop sign instead of a traffic light and has a pedestrian island in the middle. That way I can get about 1/2 way through if the entire street isn't clear. Funny how they have this here but no pedestrian crossing at the other intersection.

The only problem now is that sometimes car will come to a stop for me when I'm next to the pedestrian island so it takes longer than it should for the traffic to clear. The island is more than adequate for the length of my bike so I'm not standing in traffic or anything.

How are you starting out from a dead stop?

I'm not sure what you mean how do I start?

I typically shift about 2 or 3 gears before I stop so I can start up easy. As I build speed, I click down about that many gears.

At a stop I usually have my left foot in the pedal and the right one on the ground. Right before I go, I pull the pedal to where it's just forward of the 12 oclock position. Right foot will be on the pedal once I'm moving but I won't attempt to flip it over to get it inside until maybe 2 or 3 full cranks later.

That's the right answer; I was afraid that you were trying to kick along the ground with one foot to get yourself up to speed like I've seen some people do.

Sometimes, if I know that I'm going to have to get going quickly, I just leave it in the taller gear instead of downshifting, then stand & pedal hard to get across.

I'm not doubting that this particular light is unusually short, either; I've seen some that only three cars can get through.