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triggering the light

blesk

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New intersection on home commute where the left arrow never triggered. I got sick of baking in the sun waiting for a left turn "rescue" cager, so ended up with a circuitous workaround involving u turn until one day noticed the asphalt cutout in the very front of the turn lane, in the shape of - wish I had a pic here - a mc or bicycle laying on it's side. Turns out that positioning mc over the squiggly side triggers reliably every time.

Is this new? Is it made for mc use? Have I been out to lunch for ...how long...?
 
I've read about trigger magnets that can be attached on the bottom of the bike to activate the sensors. But I've never heard any reports on them.
 
I find making a full stop and proceeding with caution to be very effective in dealing with errant light controls.
 
Sadly, the intersection in question is a couple blocks away from police station. Cruiser density is very high. I used to turn without the arrow in Idaho. In fact our instructor at the MSF class in Idaho told us that's how to handle it. Someone here in Texas said they're not so tolerant here and I'll get a ticket.

Anyone get a ticket for that? Anyone stopped and didn't get ticket when they explained?
 
I've read about trigger magnets that can be attached on the bottom of the bike to activate the sensors. But I've never heard any reports on them.

In my experience they do not work.

I have tried various versions of the "Green Light Trigger" and have given up on them. There are several "techniques" that people spout (kick stand down, etc.) but if you find a "sweet spot" - keep using it. On problem intersections, the best solution is to call the local transportation office and have them adjusted.
 
There are a couple of lane positions that will help - look for the cuts in the pavement where the "loop" wires (inductive loop is the technical term) and stop right over one side or the other. If the pattern is a sideways "8", stop on the middle line. The best point is the "corner" if that doesn't put you into the intersection.

I keep trying different things at a left turn lane close to the house and it seems like they have adjusted it recently. I was too lazy to call.
 
Totally agree with what Chuck says. We actually have statute in Texas that says the sensors must be sensitive enough for the legal traffic, so if it's not triggering for your bike, call the city. I've done this in 4 different cities in the DFW Metro area and all 4 cities responded within 2 business days, and from then on when I ran over the sensors, they triggered.


FYI...those magnets... I bought some SUPER POWERFUL magnets... ones that together provided hundreds of pounds of magnetism, so powerful that I couldn't pull them directly apart, and placed them DIRECTLY on the sensor... Didn't do a thing.
 
There are some more post on this here.

Huntsville has one in particular that gives me the blues. I try to get the bike engine right over the loop, some success, hit or miss. If it has a light sensor, a few flicks of the high beams sometimes will trigger a light change.
 
I find riding down and stopping on the long line of the sensor does the trick most of the time. Otherwise, as suggested, they have to fix it if you report it. That's the best move.

Around here most new intersections have the camera type sensors instead of the ground loops and those seem to catch my bike all the time.
 
.... asphalt cutout in the very front of the turn lane, in the shape of ... a mc or bicycle laying on it's side. Turns out that positioning mc over the squiggly side triggers reliably every time.

Is this new? Is it made for mc use? Have I been out to lunch for ...how long...?

Where is this intersection? I haven't been up in Houston proper recently but I'll keep an eye out. It could be for mc and bicycle use. City of Houston has been trying to promote more bicycle usage with all the bike lanes put in (much to the chagrin of fat truck and suv drivers....makes regular traffic lanes narrower).
 
Did the law ever pass to let MCs run stop lights that won't trigger? I thought it did.
 
I know in Florida if it didn't change after 2 cycles you could go on through. It's interesting there was a cutout the shape of a bike... maybe they are adding an extra sensitive loop? I've never heard of any of those gimmicky products working... positioning seems to be the only real factor in getting them to work.

I used to work at an airport (PDX) and we had one of these ground loop sensors to open a fence gate. It was so sensitive that if you even just carried a metal trash can over it it would trigger, so they can be adjusted to detect bikes. I think contacting the city is a good idea.
 
At Spring Cypress and Old Louetta, I can never trip that left turn light (next to the railroad tracks). I even purchased a 150# magnet that didn't seem to help any.
 
Both my bikes have center stands. Dropping it down on the loop usually does the trick. That way I can keep it in gear if a speedy exit is required.

There is one light at T and 6 here in the Fe that I can't ever trip. I caught TexDOT working there and reported it to them. They said they would check the adjustments... Still can't trip it. :argh:
 
I've read about trigger magnets that can be attached on the bottom of the bike to activate the sensors. But I've never heard any reports on them.

I actually had this one ( http://www.greenlightstuff.com/trigger.html ) and it definitely worked. I would go to work at 4 am and there were 2 lights that never changed, one in Richardson and the other in Dallas. As soon as I mounted the magnet on the underside they changed immediately. It was on a Kawasaki Nomad 1500.
 
Brand new intersection at Cypresswood and TC Jester - not on most maps yet. Zumo always shows me off-roading :)

Okay, that's outside of City of Houston. Harris County is responsible for that. My SIL is up in that neck of the woods. I'll look at the sensor loops next time I'm up there.

edit: I found this article on the interweb
http://www.humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/signals/green.htm
What you may have found is a loop sensor that is trying to be in compliance with the law that specifies sensors must be able to detect all vehicles.
 
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This may sound jack assy but I just run them.

If it cycles through or there is no traffic I just go.
 
I got this today in response to a notification I sent North Richland Hills on Friday. That's a very fast response. Now if TXDOT will just get to the actual signal . . .

Thank you for your e-mail concerning the traffic signal light on Blvd. 26 @ Davis. This signal light is a TXDOT maintained signal. I will forward your e-mail to the TXDOT signal supervisor and he will take it from there.

Respectfully,
Douglas Dunn
Senior Traffic Technician
7200-A Dick Fisher Drive S.
North Richland Hills, TX 76180
817/427-6460
 
Wow! I got an e-mail from John Gore with TXDOT about an hour after the guy from NRH forwarded my e-mail, and I just talked with him. He's going to arrange to have someone meet me there at 6:00 AM one day in the next week to adjust the light. That is great response!
 
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