Bike loop and other detectors

Hi all, this message comes from a co-worker based out in OR. Any insights from the civil engineers on the forum out there would be appreciated. I’ll point Bruce to this thread.

Bike loop and other detectors

I’ve been on a Technical Advisory Committee working with Oregon DOT to research the use ped and bike counting and one of the things we’re​ researching are bike counting loops, tubes and cameras. The final report will come out sometime in mid January but for now I thought I would post here to start a discussion on bike loops and other detectors.

Draft results on the loops seem to me to indicate there are problems with proper settings of the sensitivity of the controllers for the loops. Too sensitive and you get many false positives, too unsensitive and it won’t detect riders.

Placement and marking and public awareness on loops are also problematic in some respects. For instance if the loops are located to near a right turn it will detect cars driving over it when they go into the bike lane. As indicated in this link Riders don’t know how to trigger green lights many riders don’t know how to correctly place their bikes.

Here’s another link on the topic 2008 FHWA research study.

It seems to me that somehow there’s got to be a better way for counting and / or triggering traffic lights when riding a bicycle than loops?

Thoughts?

Bruce M

This is a follow-up from another co-worker:

I think there are pressure-actuated sensors as well, but maybe that’s just for cars…

Of little help to your current effort, but I think roadside capture of smartphone signals (ie bluetooth) has some potential. I sat in on a briefing from a researcher at UC Berkeley, who has a smartphone app that automatically determines, through use of the GPS, accelerometer, & signal change what mode of travel a person is taking. Passively collecting similar data at the roadside should be possible.

[though i hope such an effort would be restricted to counting, rather than actuating signals, as i wouldn’t want to be required by the transportation system to have to carry a phone simply to get my fair chance to cross the street]

Darren