New Traffic Light Timings

[dasgeh]

@83(b) 114679 wrote:

Going 15th to the Capitol Building yesterday evening on Penn Ave I got stopped at 14th, 13th, 12th, 10th, 9th, 7th, 4th, and 3rd. There were a lot of riders out and they weren’t all making great time, but I’m not sure going faster would have made much of a difference. I’m not one to ever run reds, but this sure had me thinking about it.

This morning’s inbound commute was a bit wonky since the Capital grounds were closed. So still TBD whether that’s as big of a pain.

When I used to do that commute (WH-Capitol), I realized that E Street would be a great alternative, but the light timing was actually worse. If the timing on PA now sucks, might be worth trying E St.

[83b]

I’ll have to try that!

[Greenbelt]

PA Ave has gone from being very fast to very spastic. Near Capitol Hill I hit all the lights red. Then between 6th and 11th, it was fast. Then more block by block lights.

The green bikey arrow at 15th now is timed up to hit every red going up the Hill on 15th northbound toward the WH plaza. Of course, there’s no traffic through to the bike lane, but there’s a higher likelihood of confusion (go through the red or stop? do pedestrians have the right of way or not?).

This morning, 18th street northbound was like a freeway speed, which I’m sure the VA commuters love, but a pedestrian will probably get killed soon.

Last night, P street eastbound was way slower than it used to be at 7pm. Basically the N-S lights are now timed for super-long stretches and nobody on them, so the bikes just run the red.

This whole light cycle switch seems to be helping VA and MD single passenger car commuters at the expense of DC residents just trying to get across town?

Has anybody got a better commute out of this?

[jrenaut]

@Greenbelt 114698 wrote:

The green bikey arrow at 15th now is timed up to hit every red going up the Hill on 15th northbound toward the WH plaza. Of course, there’s no traffic through to the bike lane, but there’s a higher likelihood of confusion (go through the red or stop? do pedestrians have the right of way or not?).

NB by Treasury – the signs on the pavement say yield to peds, not stop at lights. They made no effort to make the lights visible to NB cyclists. Therefore, I stop for pedestrians legally crossing in crosswalks with the light, and angrily ring my bell at jaywalkers, either in the crosswalk without the light, or outside the crosswalk.

The one improvement for me is that if I don’t make the light at Archives on 7th NW SB, I don’t miss a cycle crossing PA Ave. But I also have to stop for 10 seconds or so to cross Constitution, so I wouldn’t call it better overall.

[OneEighth]

I haven’t yet figured out my southbound 15th Street commute to the 14th Street Bridge with the new timing, but the northbound AM ride up 17th to the Whitehouse is now great.

[americancyclo]

Independence from the Capitol to the Lincoln seemed a little janky yesterday.
On Jefferson, when the light changed at 14th, you used to be able to soft pedal at about 13 mph to arrive at 7th as the light was turning green. Got stopped there today.

[CPTJohnC]

I’m so happy to see this thread. I thought I was crazy the past few days.

[gibby]

Success! From 14th – 7th, you have to cruise at about 18mph (no official reading, tho) to catch the light at 7th. I figured if I’m passing the Castle as the light turns green, there’s about 15 seconds to make it to 7th. From 7th-4th, you can slow back down to catch that light and then even slower to catch 3rd St light.

[jrenaut]

I hit more greens today than yesterday. Not sure if they tweaked the timing again, or if I got lucky, or if I’m adjusting. But definitely better today.

[OneEighth]

Made it all the way from 15th and G to the 14th St Bridge yesterday evening. Only had to weasel the light at F to do so. If I can reliably repeat the pattern, then count me a fan of the new timing.

[Emm]

So the light timing between Maine Ave/Raul Wallenberg and the light in front of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is now AWESOME. I usually have to bike as fast as I can to cross Maine and go uphill on Raul Wallenberg so I can get to that intersection in time to cut over Raul Wallenberg (so I can be on east side of the street–this makes getting onto Jefferson Ave way easier than trying to cross at 15th/Jefferson). If I have anyone in front of me before crossing Maine I usually can’t make it before the light @ the Bureau turns red again.

Today I had 3 people in front of me so I ended up going a leisurely pace, and I actually had to slow down so I could wait for the light to turn green in front of the Bureau. That was awesome.

What wasn’t awesome was Jefferson Ave between 15th and 4th, but others have commented on that already…

[americancyclo]

Lights lined up nicely from Capitol to Memorial Bridge. Across the bridge in 11 min, felt like my best time yet

[Justin Antos]

One nice safety outcome of this retiming is the right-hook going west from the East Capitol Street bike lanes into the Capitol Grounds at 1st St. has been reduced dramatically, and replaced with a red light. It used to be that cyclists were overtaking stopped cars in the lane as the light turned green, so car drivers would right-hook fairly predictably.

Now, cyclists approaching from the lights at 3rd and 2nd hit a red light at 1st, so we all collect at the front of the line and go with the leading pedestrian interval. We get out in front of the cars, which is great.

Haven’t yet checked out the timing on Penn – will try tonight.

[DCLiz]

@Justin Antos 114805 wrote:

Now, cyclists approaching from the lights at 3rd and 2nd hit a red light at 1st, so we all collect at the front of the line and go with the leading pedestrian interval. We get out in front of the cars, which is great.

Ah! I didn’t realize this timing had been changed too.

@Justin Antos 114805 wrote:

Haven’t yet checked out the timing on Penn – will try tonight.

Definitely suboptimal going eastbound in the evening for the first half of the trip, but then opens up nicely for the second half.

I haven’t had a day where I can compare my pre- and post-new timing times because the White House and/or Capitol Grounds have been closed when I’ve been commuting this week.

I *think* that it comes out a wash — I catch more lights in some places and less in others, but so far still less gridlock, which makes me feel safer going through intersections.

[DCLiz]

I was sidelined in mid-June due to a bad summer cold, but resumed commuting from Capitol Hill to downtown this week. I noticed the lights on Penn Ave seemed better–and indeed my commute times noticed as well–but I thought it might be because I was leaving a bit later in the morning. It turns out DDOT adjusted the timing to improve the ride for bicyclists! A woman in WABA’s Women & Bicycling group posted this letter she got in response to her complaint about the new timing.

The timing in the evening is better as well. [ATTACH=CONFIG]8984[/ATTACH]

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