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From: rls@ihu1g.UUCP (r.l. schieve)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Smart Traffic Lights?
Message-ID: <658@ihu1g.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 19-Jul-85 09:00:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihu1g.658
Posted: Fri Jul 19 09:00:00 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Jul-85 10:43:03 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 26

Over the last several years here in the extreme western suburbs
of Chicago, it has become quite common to install sensors in the
road at traffic signals to help control the lights.  An example
being that the left turn arrow does not come on if a car is not
waiting in the left turn lane for several seconds before the
light is due to change.  Notice that I said a "car"!  At least
half of these sensors don't seem to be able to tell if a motorcycle
is sitting right over it.  This was annoying when I had a relatively
small XL350 but I figured a larger street bike would have enough
mass to trigger any sensor.

Well I got my strret bike last year and half of the traffic light
sensors still ignor its presence.  It is bothersome but liveable
to miss an ocassional turn arrow but there is one light on the way
home and a few others I have passed through that rely on the sensors
to simply give you a green light.  If cars are around they change
the light for you if not I have waited as long as 5 minutes at a
completely empty intersection and given up and went through the red
light.

Have other riders noticed this or are all the stupid lights just on
the roads I ride?  Any ideas on who to complain to or what can be
done?

				Rick Schieve
				...ihnp4!ihu1g!rls