Traffic Lights on the W&OD

[elbows]

I think that if the powers that be are going to require cyclists to wait for a signal to cross, they should at the least make sure the signal works.

Yesterday, as is not atypical, the wait at Gallows seems to be long, the wait at Maple Ave seems to be long, and then the light to cross in Herndon wasn’t even working. I try to follow the law, but at close to 8 minutes, we finally just darted into light traffic in Herndon.

I have been at the Maple Ave crossing where there were over 50 people waiting. That’s almost unsafe.

[mstone]

@elbows 57176 wrote:

I think that if the powers that be are going to require cyclists to wait for a signal to cross, they should at the least make sure the signal works.

Yesterday, as is not atypical, the wait at Gallows seems to be long, the wait at Maple Ave seems to be long, and then the light to cross in Herndon wasn’t even working. I try to follow the law, but at close to 8 minutes, we finally just darted into light traffic in Herndon.

I have been at the Maple Ave crossing where there were over 50 people waiting. That’s almost unsafe.

There’s all kinds of things they could do. They could raise the priority for waiting pedestrians, they could make sure that the buttons actually do something, they could use an actual stop light instead of that ridiculous contraption at Belmont Ridge Road (what does that stupid thing even mean?), they could base the cycle time on the number of people waiting, etc. But they have no incentive to do so, since VDOT only has a metric for vehicle LoS, not pedestrian/cyclist LoS.

[rpiretti]

Light crossing Columbia Pike I’ve noticed now takes 2 cycles for a pedestrian crossing, starting last week.

[Tim Kelley]

@elbows 57176 wrote:

I think that if the powers that be are going to require cyclists to wait for a signal to cross, they should at the least make sure the signal works.

Yesterday, as is not atypical, the wait at Gallows seems to be long, the wait at Maple Ave seems to be long, and then the light to cross in Herndon wasn’t even working. I try to follow the law, but at close to 8 minutes, we finally just darted into light traffic in Herndon.

I have been at the Maple Ave crossing where there were over 50 people waiting. That’s almost unsafe.

Did you reported it?

[Tim Kelley]

@Rando Guy 57191 wrote:

Light crossing Columbia Pike I’ve noticed now takes 2 cycles for a pedestrian crossing, starting last week.

Did you report i?

I’d start here: https://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/environmentalservices/cpe/concrete/resform.htm

[elbows]

I emailed NRVPA but it was not clear to me whom I should email.

[Tim Kelley]

@elbows 57198 wrote:

I emailed NRVPA but it was not clear to me whom I should email.

If you don’t hear anything back, you could try this form: http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/citizen.asp

[rpiretti]

No, seemed like it was on purpose due to it starting after the construction taking place at this light.

@Tim Kelley 57194 wrote:

Did you report i?

I’d start here: https://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/environmentalservices/cpe/concrete/resform.htm

[Tim Kelley]

@Rando Guy 57218 wrote:

No, seemed like it was on purpose due to it starting after the construction taking place at this light.

Ah, I thought it sounded like you were saying something was wrong.

But keep that link handy for future reference!

[rpiretti]

I could see that, sorry about the confusion. I’ll keep it handy for sure.

[dasgeh]

In Virginia, if the light is red for more than 2 minutes or 2 cycles (whichever is shorter), you can go when it’s clear:

§ 46.2-833. Traffic lights; penalty.

[…]
B. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a driver of a motorcycle or moped or a bicycle rider approaches an intersection that is controlled by a traffic light, the driver or rider may proceed through the intersection on a steady red light only if the driver or rider (i) comes to a full and complete stop at the intersection for two complete cycles of the traffic light or for two minutes, whichever is shorter, (ii) exercises due care as provided by law, (iii) otherwise treats the traffic control device as a stop sign, (iv) determines that it is safe to proceed, and (v) yields the right of way to the driver of any vehicle approaching on such other highway from either direction.

Seems like timing the lights so a cyclist would always have to wait for more than 2 minutes would be contrary to at least the spirit of the law.

[consularrider]

@dasgeh 57221 wrote:

In Virginia, if the light is red for more than 2 minutes or 2 cycles (whichever is shorter), you can go when it’s clear: …
Seems like timing the lights so a cyclist would always have to wait for more than 2 minutes would be contrary to at least the spirit of the law.

Welcome to the W&OD intersections at Gallows and Maple.

[elbows]

I heard back that they would inform the town of Herndon. Thanks.

[rpiretti]

Hey everyone, I ended up sending a report in about this light early this week. Seems to be fixed now, hooray! Although, it is TBD on whether or not my report had anything to do with it.

@Rando Guy 57191 wrote:

Light crossing Columbia Pike I’ve noticed now takes 2 cycles for a pedestrian crossing, starting last week.

[JimF22003]

Was still broken this morning at about 7:00am. A couple of brave bike riders ahead of me saw a short gap, held out their arms like school crossing guards, and got about 10 riders and runners through against the red.

I and another guy hopped off the curb into Col. Pike as well in preference to trying to navigate that horrible rough narrow little temporary trail. They need to get that corner fixed ASAP.

[Author]

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