There’s two traffic lights on my usual ride route that only activate when a car is present. The first one has a blind curve to my left and cars speed
along the road so I usually wait for a car coming from either behind me or in front of me to show and trigger the light. There’s no cross walk or other way to trigger the light. The second comes to a three way stop and it’s much easier to see if there’s cars coming or not. I will remount and ride through that light if it’s red and no vehicles are coming. Not sure what the laws are here in NJ regarding bikes and red lights or stop signs but common sense seems to be the best way to go.

I live in a city in WI with a population of just over 10,000. We have 8 sop light controlled intersections, 2 “roundabouts”, several “4 way stop” intersections and a lot of basic “stop sign for the less busy street” intersections. WI law states that cyclists are required to obey signs and lights in the same way as automobiles. I believe that at least some of the stop light controlled intersections have sensors to detect vehicles but I’m not so sure that they get activated by bicycles. All of my bikes are primarily metal (steel or aluminum). They don’t seem to trigger a light change. WI does allow a cyclist to proceed through a red light after waiting for 45 seconds and assuming no cross traffic. While I limit my riding on busy streets, I occasionally have to do so and behave as if I was an automobile. At the controlled intersections with little or no traffic, I use the “wait 45 second” 😉 method or the “right turn, u-turn, right turn” method. In the presence of local, county or state LE, I’ll follow the letter of the law. At stop signs, it’s look left, look right and if necessary “totally pause 😉”.

I know I would prefer to since Realityville is becoming a bit too much.

Do you hold this opinion even in the case of a local Traffic Engineering office tells bicyclists, "[Bicyclists] can use the walk light if the sensor doesn't trip for you?" (That's my local city...)

I don't see a problem with pressing the pedestrian crosswalk light to stop traffic. It's exactly the same thing if your bike were able to activate the light sensor, either way you are stopping traffic. I know of a little road that has a light that stops a major 4-lane highway, what's the difference if it's a pedestrian a bike or a single car that activates the light





:fight:

If I have to dismount then roll my bike over to where the buttons are along a sidewalk next to the crosswalk where I'll cross as a pedestrian, I will. I make use of them frequently in that I find them more convenient (and less risky) than simply trying to time my crossing to avoid getting run down.

Having dismounted I've become a pedestrian after all, I see no conflict with the purpose the lights are to serve.

Only problem I have is with vehicle drivers who choose to stop traffic before I activate the signals or step into the crosswalk. I'm in no hurry but I'm fully aware that many drivers are. I try to time my crossing for when traffic's lightened enough that there isn't a line of vehicles approaching from both sides that my crossing will cause them all to stop.

When a motorist has to get out of their vehicle, walk around it to get to the button on the far side of the sidewalk, and then get back and buckle in before the light changes back, well, I won't have any problem doing the same. That's the thrust of the UVC, that a person riding a bicycle has all the rights and duties of the driver of any other vehicle.

It depends on where you are. Some places use induction sensors embedded in the pavement, which work well for cars, somewhat for motorcycles, and rarely for bicycles. Others use motion sensing cameras. Others use a complex system which manages traffic flow using a combination of sensors, cameras, and computers. Here in Japan all traffic lights run on timers.