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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!umcp-cs!fred
From: fred@umcp-cs.UUCP (Fred Blonder)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: car-sensors at traffic lights
Message-ID: <1043@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 30-Jul-85 01:13:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.1043
Posted: Tue Jul 30 01:13:53 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 31-Jul-85 23:32:40 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: U of Maryland, Computer Science Dept., College Park, MD
Lines: 26

What do y'all do when you're stuck at a traffic light that won't turn
green for you 'till something with enough mass to trip the traffic
sensor comes along, but there are no cars coming the same direction you
are?

The three alternatives I see, all of which I've used depending on
time-of-day, traffic, etc. are:

        1) Wait and hope a car comes along from behind.

        2) Cross against the red light. (This is the one the folks at
           the local bike shop recomend.)
 
        3) Climb up on the sidewalk and push the little pedestrian
           crossing button. (The ``smart'' lights with traffic sensors
           seem to usually have these.)

These all are a nuisance, however an advantage of #3 is that since the
traffic engineers realize that the average pedestrian doesn't walk at
> 20 mph., the light will stay green for you longer, avoiding the
problem of it turning green for the cross street while you've still got
a couple lanes of a fairly wide intersection to cross.
-- 
					Fred Blonder (301) 454-7690
					harpo!seismo!umcp-cs!fred
					Fred@Maryland.ARPA