Traffic lights

[mimitabby]

I must admit that I wimp out on the busy streets I have to cross, but can't trigger. I'll get off my bike and go hit the crosswalk button.

If it's a really hairy bike vs. cars situation I'll walk across in the cross walk.

I figure if I'm in the crosswalk, I should behave as a pedestrian. Just like if I'm in the road I should behave as a vehicle.

There is one moderately busy intersection near me that has a camera in the left turn lane. I love it, cuz I can trigger the left-turn arrow right away just for me!

Knotted, which intersection is that? (I wanna try!!)

[GLC1968]

Thanks for all the ideas!

Unfortunately, I don't have alternate routes, because there just aren't that many roads to chose from! That's partly why it took me so long to find a route that was safe enough for commuting at all.

My 'city' is really an overgrown small town, so unless you are smack in downtown, you're kind of on your own for things like crosswalks, alternate streets and traffic cameras....though it is improving all the time.

[velogirl]

When all else fails, just flash the cars some boob -- they'll give you the right of way!!!

[Trekhawk]

When all else fails, just flash the cars some boob -- they'll give you the right of way!!!

LOL - thanks for my morning laugh. Nearly snorted my tea though.

[Geonz]

We just had a thread about this. I oculdn't quite translate the "human transport" site stuff into what our intersections, but I do look for the lines on the pavement and ride juste inside them and lean my bike aroiund so that at least people *think* I'm doing something clever to trigger the sensors (or maybe they think I am having a weird chamois adjustment issue). Some lights I'll trip; others I won't and it's predictable. (THe little light bike isn't as good.)
Most of the lights I go through are on timers, anyway, which means I can anticipate on my approach, based on which "walk" or "don'twalk" light is flashing. Knowing that I've got 18 seconds on flash and another 18 on solid really helps (I *love* those lights!). Other intersections have a countdown thing - where it also helps to know whether it goes to yellow at 0 or you've got another 4 seconds.
Advocacy-wise, I believe the induction loop sensors *can* be set to be more sensitive - or you could advocate for things to go on timers (though that's extremely annoying when there's no traffic). I'm not sure, but I think some of our lights do both -- sense you if you're there, and cycle through a timed cycle if nobody is detected.
Boo-flashing in the midwest... well, I'd fall off trying it, anyway, and might give myself a black eye...

[Eden]

Advocacy-wise, I believe the induction loop sensors *can* be set to be more sensitive

I am almost postive that this is true