Temporary Traffic Lights

[ebikeerwidnes]

Hi all
I am talking about the sort of thing we have in the UK to control traffic round road works

I have had a few problems with them over the last few months and I was wondering if others have the same issues
The problem has been that, although starting off as soon as the lights go green - by the time I get to the far end then the lights in the opposite direction have gone green.
On one occasion the car coming towards me started off and actually started coming down the single lane of traffic - followed by a large van. There was nowhere for me to go so we ended up with me just riding down the middle and forcing him to stop. I don't think he was impressed!
On another occasion the car opposite started off but stopped allowing me time and space to get up to him and get round him
Another time I noticed the car starting off but there was room on my right to dodge into the traffic cones so it worked out OK

I was wondering if this is just me - or does it happen elsewhere as well - and who can it be reported to - I presume there are set rules for how long to hold the traffic for, based on the length of the road works

I should mention that I ride an ebike so
a) I was doing a reasonable speed - faster than most none road bikes might be expected to do
b) it has a speedometer so I know I was doing about 15-17 mph - so going over the motor cutoff at times so I could get a move on


Thanks

 

[numbnuts]

I've had this and I ride a recumbent trike, they said I would have to reverse back, they were not impressed when I told them I don't have a reverse gear, as with any traffic lights proceed when the road in front is clear.

 

[PeteXXX]

My understanding is that the lights should be set so that they allow a cyclist to get through safely.
I'm sure there'll be someone along soon with expert knowledge of the subject..

 

[screenman]

I stopped and had a word with one of those signal operators only the other day.

 

[bruce1530]

According to https://assets.publishing.service.g...troduction-use-portable-vehicular-signals.pdf

What you’re interested in is the “all red” time - the delay between the lights for one direction changing to red, and the lights for the other direction changing away from red.

It varies depending on the distance - minimum of 5 secs, for 250m it’s 30 secs. Which suggests 30km/h or 22mph, which seems a trifle optimistic....

 

[snorri]

Find out which roads authority is responsible and tell them the lighting has not been set up correctly.
Don't feel obliged to scramble off the road to let the offending motor vehicle drivers through. If you can delay them for long enough one of the drivers will possibly phone the police who can get on to the contractor or roads authority to save your time in chasing them up.

 

[freiston]

I vaguely remember a thread about this on CUK so I made a search and found this from here:

For temporary signals, the DfT "pink book" gives timings. This gives All Red timings for different distances between "Wait Here" boards of:
0-50m = 5 sec
50-100m = 10 sec
100-150m = 15 sec
150-200m = 20 sec
200-250m = 25 sec
250m-300m = 30sec

In addition, you'll have 2 sec starting red/amber and 3 sec closing amber.

It also states:
"If the site is on a steep gradient, you may need to increase the indicated
All-Red value for the uphill direction incrementally until vehicles clear safely.
If there are large numbers of slow-moving vehicles that have difficulty in
clearing the works before the lights have changed, increase indicated values
of the relevant All-Red settings incrementally until vehicles clear safely."

Someone on that thread worked out that those timings equate to about 22 mph

Edit - @bruce1530 beat me to it :-)

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Don't feel obliged to scramble off the road to let the offending motor vehicle drivers through. If you can delay them for long enough one of the drivers will possibly phone the police who can get on to the contractor or roads authority to save your time in chasing them up.

Play that game too often and sooner or later you''ll get some headcase jumping out of their motor to find out the cause of the delay, seeing a cyclist blocking the lane, and giving them a good slap.

 

[Tigerbiten]

I find it's not only temporary traffic lights that have this problem.
Most traffic lights on bridges are also a bit iffy.
Most are fine if you enter as they go green at around 15 mph.
Any slow and they tend to change before you're off the bridge.
https://goo.gl/maps/5ywEVtCrtuAHFVHdA
I tend to only get around 90% through that set before they change.

YMMV ............

 

[Specialeyes]

Surely the 'all red' time and the 22mph speed requirement only applies if you're the last one through? If you filter to the front you get a lot longer

 

[Slick]

Not everyone likes how I deal with it but I try and filter to the front if safe to do so then pull into the coned area to let traffic pass which works well as long as you can say for certain there are no obstacles in your path. Doesn't work all the time and last week I was almost at the front of the line and just held my line and went as fast as I could to make sure I got through.

 

[Solocle]

Play that game too often and sooner or later you''ll get some headcase jumping out of their motor to find out the cause of the delay, seeing a cyclist blocking the lane, and giving them a good slap.

Meanwhile, if I've jumped a red, I'm more than happy and prepared to get myself out of the way...

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I try and filter to the front if safe to do so then pull into the coned area to let traffic pass which works well as long as you can say for certain there are no obstacles in your path.

I do the same thing so long as there isn't a bloody great hole or construction machinery blocking the way. It's a bit naughty, but it saves having a very pissed-off driver sitting six inches off your back wheel just itching to roar past as soon as they can physically find enough room to overtake. Roadworks delays bring out the worst in road users, and I've seen enough shunts happen in single way lanes to keep the other side of the cones where possible and let the motorists do their own thing.

 

[Slick]

I do the same thing so long as there isn't a bloody great hole or construction machinery blocking the way. It's a bit naughty, but it saves having a very pissed-off driver sitting six inches off your back wheel just itching to roar past as soon as they can physically find enough room to overtake. Roadworks delays bring out the worst in road users, and I've seen enough shunts happen in single way lanes to keep the other side of the cones where possible and let the motorists do their own thing.

Exactly, it's all about taking charge and looking after yourself in my book anyway.

 

[freiston]

Surely the 'all red' time and the 22mph speed requirement only applies if you're the last one through? If you filter to the front you get a lot longer

The way I interpret the light sequence is that once the green light turns red, you've got 30s before the other direction turns green (the pink book, for 300m gives green time as 50s and all red time as 30s) so if you're the last vehicle through the green as it turns to red, you would have to do 300m in 30s which works out at 36km/h or 22.37mph. If you are the first vehicle to go when the light turns green, you would have 80s but if you went slower than 36km/h then you could prevent the last vehicle to cross the green light behind you from getting to the other side before the lights changed to green for oncoming traffic.