stoplights per mile
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,215
Likes: 0
From: Westwood MA (just south of Boston)
Bikes: 2009 Trek Soho
stoplights per mile
so I have about three dozen stoplights on my 13-mile commute to Boston. That's about 3 per mile. Anyone have it worse?? it sucks.
And to your next question, yes I stop. Except at three-way intersections and when the pedestrian walk sign is lit.
And to your next question, yes I stop. Except at three-way intersections and when the pedestrian walk sign is lit.
#2
#3
I've never counted them. I'd say somewhere between one and two dozen, in a 4.7 mile commute. A lot of them are timed pretty well, though, so that you might have to stop for the first, but the whole series of them will be green after that. A few others are on draw bridges, so that these only go red a handful of times per day.
I stop at lights when cross traffic requires it.
I stop at lights when cross traffic requires it.
#4
Senior Member

Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,521
Likes: 3
From: Montreal
Bikes: Peugeot Hybrid, Minelli Hybrid
I have about 20 on my 17 mile commute. I regularly stop at 5 of them, and a few more I can catch on the green by adjusting my speed. The rest have little crossing traffic, so I ride through after checking.
#6
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,053
Likes: 0
From: Alexandria, VA
Bikes: Trek 830 Mountain Track Drop bar conversion
Coming in from home, my first just-over-a-mile has 8 stop lights I think. Then it's MUP for 4 or 5 miles and then three stoplight-controlled intersections in the last mile or so.
#10
Clyde that Rides
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 309
Likes: 0
From: Long Island, NY
Bikes: 2008 Jamis Aurora,1988 Specialized Hardrock, 1980? Kuwahara Carrera
9 lights in 5.5 miles (suburbs), three at left turns. Sometimes it feels like I catch every single one (those are usually the days with a wicked headwind in the AM too!)
The light I hate the most is on the way home, in about 0.5 miles, the road goes from a single lane (with a really poorly maintained shoulder) to two lanes, a right turn only and a straight/left turn lane. As the road nears the intersection (intersection is with a 4 lane highway with multiple turn lanes onto the street on which I travel) there's an entrance for a 7 eleven on the right. Immediately after the 7 eleven entrance a left turn lane forms. So I'm going straight, I'm taking the lane as it's the only way to safely navigate this section of road, I have cars passing me on the right and left then cutting back into the straight travel lane all the while dealing with cars turning into and out of the 7 eleven.
Here it is on GoogleMaps, on the way home I ride from the top left to the bottom right through this intersection. Zoom in to better understand the intersection.
The light I hate the most is on the way home, in about 0.5 miles, the road goes from a single lane (with a really poorly maintained shoulder) to two lanes, a right turn only and a straight/left turn lane. As the road nears the intersection (intersection is with a 4 lane highway with multiple turn lanes onto the street on which I travel) there's an entrance for a 7 eleven on the right. Immediately after the 7 eleven entrance a left turn lane forms. So I'm going straight, I'm taking the lane as it's the only way to safely navigate this section of road, I have cars passing me on the right and left then cutting back into the straight travel lane all the while dealing with cars turning into and out of the 7 eleven.
Here it is on GoogleMaps, on the way home I ride from the top left to the bottom right through this intersection. Zoom in to better understand the intersection.
#13
Slogging along
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,148
Likes: 0
From: San Fernando Valley, SoCal
Bikes: Cannondale Synapse '06, Mongoose titanium road bike '00--my commuter. Yes, Mongoose once made a decent ti road bike.
11 stoplights and 4 stop signs on a 6 mile commute. It is uncanny how I can make most lights on some days but hit all of the red lights on most. And yes, I stop at the reds.
#18
My 2.5 mile commute to and through downtown:
5 on Downing, 4 on 12th Ave, 6 on Logan, 4 on 18th Ave, 9 on 18th St, 2 on Larimer St, 1 on 17th St, 1 on Market St. Then I'm at my destination. What's that total? 32, which averages to 12.8 per mile.
If I didn't run red lights, I'd never get anywhere.
Once I get into suburbia and go on my 3 mile ride to work, I have.... three. Two of them I usually have to wait for, the other is rarely red when I go through it so I never have to wait.
When I sit down and think about it, my commute has absolutely no stop signs... wow.
5 on Downing, 4 on 12th Ave, 6 on Logan, 4 on 18th Ave, 9 on 18th St, 2 on Larimer St, 1 on 17th St, 1 on Market St. Then I'm at my destination. What's that total? 32, which averages to 12.8 per mile.
If I didn't run red lights, I'd never get anywhere.
Once I get into suburbia and go on my 3 mile ride to work, I have.... three. Two of them I usually have to wait for, the other is rarely red when I go through it so I never have to wait.
When I sit down and think about it, my commute has absolutely no stop signs... wow.
#19
You gonna eat that?
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,917
Likes: 543
From: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty
Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS
#20
3 stop lights, 2 stop signs going to work, 3 stop lights, 3 signs coming home -- 1.6 miles each way. The stop signs all have good visibility, so I know if I'm going to need to stop before I get to them, the lights I stop for... oh, and if I take the 1.8 mile ride to have an easier hill climb, that jumps to 9 lights, 2 signs...
#21
I should add, when I move back to Golden, my route to school has zero stop lights. The removed the only light that used to be on my commute. I have a few stop signs.
I do however, have three roundabouts to travel through. I really don't like biking through them.
I do however, have three roundabouts to travel through. I really don't like biking through them.





