tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post8034579994953579922..comments2024-01-05T11:00:30.673-06:00Comments on DFW Point-to-Point: Institute for Practical Bicycle Video Detection ResearchSteve Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13650405341304401203noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-7149299389155271692010-06-30T19:36:27.170-05:002010-06-30T19:36:27.170-05:00I suspect that the report was misleading. I expect...I suspect that the report was misleading. I expect that the program is set to change the light quickly if a bunch of vehicles show up, or to take a lot longer if a single one is waiting.<br /><br />There is one item I'd note in that Cyclistview set of charts and one item I'd like to know that isn't addressed. The one item I'd note is that the strategy for finding an invisible sensor won't work well if it is a type Q. Most of ours in Texas are type A or type Q. They seem to favor the type Q in turn lanes.<br /><br />The one item I'd like to see addressed is the common practice when a sensor is put in to replace an existing one. I see quite a few where there is a type A loop surrounding another type A loop. I suspect the outside loop is the active one but really don't know. Sometimes the cuts are close and it might matter, but not always.<br /><br />The IMPORTANT thing - if you pass through a light as being nonfunctional, you owe it to your fellow travellers to alert the authorities. ALWAYS. When I call, I sometimes mention my vehicle won't trip the light. Sometimes I tell a white lie and say my motorcycle won't do it. Actually, a bicycle IS a motorcycle that uses a very low power output organic engine, so it's just misleading. If I was in the middle lane and failed to trigger the camera, usually I don't want to bother to try to explain why I was there on my bike in the first place. I don't think I earn points in heaven from trying to educate dispatchers about cycling over the phone. I figure if the work order notes motorcycle failed to trip the signal, they'll check sensitivity and maybe turn it up.Steve Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13650405341304401203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-9630268064476245362010-06-28T21:56:08.776-05:002010-06-28T21:56:08.776-05:00Steve A wrote "what it really said is that th...Steve A wrote "what it really said is that the cyclist would now be detected IN the bike lane."<br /><br />Correct, however the devil is in the details, did the traffic engineer understand the need to detect cyclists in other lanes or only the bike lane? Hmmm.<br /><br />Steve A wrote "Any cyclist in a traffic lane would get picked up almost as easily as a motorcyclist if he/she rides through the zone and the sensitivity isn't set too low."<br /><br />Hopefully!<br /><br />Steve A wrote "It was very interesting to hear them say that the zones were set to not trigger until enough traffic stacked up. That suggests you might wait a LONG time if you were by yourself, even if you were driving your Land Rover instead of your Cannondale."<br /><br />In a general sense if a automatic devise do not detect a cyclist or another lone vehicle, drivers after a reasonable period, may consider the device defective, treat it the stop light as stop light and proceed with caution. Careful programming should cover those lulls, 2-4 AM?<br /><br />Steve A wrote "In Traffic 101 yesterday, I was surprised to find that my students didn't know how induction sensors work, and neither did the instructors. It gave everyone something relevant to hear while we waited for the light to change. Yes, my wheels were both precisely over the sensor<br />wire."<br /><br />Cyclistview has excellent introduction and overview of the induction loops: <a href="http://www.cyclistview.com/signaldetection/index.htm" rel="nofollow">Traffic Signal Detection </a>.<br /><br />A 20" BMX rim (no axle or frame) on 2x4 wood block is sufficient to check sensitivity of the loop. No fretting over carbon frame or leaning the bike over. Bob Shanteau, PhD estimated 2 or 3 wraps of armature wire would fix carbon rims.danchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09656663165658142443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-67907988631984339502010-06-28T19:05:00.652-05:002010-06-28T19:05:00.652-05:00Danc, kudos for a very interesting report! Be caut...Danc, kudos for a very interesting report! Be cautious about concluding that the cyclist will only be detected if in the bike lane. I watched the video twice and what it really said is that the cyclist would now be detected IN the bike lane.<br /><br />In reality, if "Figure 5" above had a bike lane instead of being a wide outside lane, no cyclist in that bike lane would be detected. What I THINK Ada did was to add a zone so a cyclist over on the right would get picked up. That IS a good thing unless they turned down the sensitivity in the other zones, which is unlikely unless they want to irritate motorcyclists.<br /><br />Any cyclist in a traffic lane would get picked up almost as easily as a motorcyclist if he/she rides through the zone and the sensitivity isn't set too low.<br /><br />It was very interesting to hear them say that the zones were set to not trigger until enough traffic stacked up. That suggests you might wait a LONG time if you were by yourself, even if you were driving your Land Rover instead of your Cannondale.<br /><br />I shall keep that link in my favorites as I continue to plumb the finer points of making lights change for me.<br /><br />In Traffic 101 yesterday, I was surprised to find that my students didn't know how induction sensors work, and neither did the instructors. It gave everyone something relevant to hear while we waited for the light to change. Yes, my wheels were both precisely over the sensor wire.Steve Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13650405341304401203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-44509542415089943632010-06-28T16:34:03.807-05:002010-06-28T16:34:03.807-05:00To all interested readers:
Advanced traffic camera...To all interested readers:<br /><a href="http://www.ktvb.com/news/local/Advanced-traffic-cameras-make-intersections-safer-for-cyclists-96976064.html" rel="nofollow">Advanced traffic cameras make intersections safer for cyclists</a> Boise, Idaho <br /><br />Application of video detection is a little troubling. The reporter and traffic engineer state the cyclist will be detected only if in the bike lane. This not good if you are positioning to making a left turn, avoiding debris out side the bike lane. The video demonstrate the system working and shows a potential right hook at 1:17 min:sec caused by staying the bike lane when traveling straight thru.<br /><br />Thanks for trying to be bicycle friendly Boise!danchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09656663165658142443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-81816350826604432002010-06-03T19:52:50.052-05:002010-06-03T19:52:50.052-05:00PS: When I lay the bike down, it is ALWAYS with th...PS: When I lay the bike down, it is ALWAYS with the drivetrain side facing up. Don't want to bung up any "C" stuff!Steve Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13650405341304401203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-81855145823443608542010-06-03T19:51:00.800-05:002010-06-03T19:51:00.800-05:00JRA, I'm hoping I snookered CycleDog into doin...JRA, I'm hoping I snookered CycleDog into doing a post about the various types of detectors. If not, maybe Rantwick will scoop us all. For now, the ones that change signals look a lot like your garden variety security camera and look down and toward you from the other side of the intersection as high as they can mount it. I'll take the shots when I get a chance. I'm in LCI training starting tomorrow. Our session on Saturday is 12 hours long!<br /><br />Cycler. Darn, the notion that Ninja are mostly unaffected by details such as traffic signals never occurred to me. And, "out of curiosity," I select from a variety of alternatives, because I have no wish to die from old age due to a non functioning traffic signal. Some options are more dramatic than others, depending on the audience. The fundamental rule of all those approaches is I call the traffic department so they know they've got a bum signal.<br /><br />If police are coming from the other way, I lie the bike down where I am, run over to the side of the road to trigger the pedestrian signal, SPRINT back to the bike, and then wave to the policeman with a "thumb's up." I may be an engineer, but that doesn't mean I can't be a "Drama King" when the situation warrants. That is fun even if I know the signal would trigger without the "dash for the button." <br /><br />One option that is very cautious and safe around my parts is to make a free right turn, followed by a U turn, and then followed by another free right turn. Mostly, however, my long commute allows me to just make a free right, followed by an alternate route that loses me little time. Commuters DO have an advantage!Steve Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13650405341304401203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-46081970653844592010-06-03T16:11:42.159-05:002010-06-03T16:11:42.159-05:00Oh, and just out of curiosity, when you can't...Oh, and just out of curiosity, when you can't get a signal to change, I presume that there are no other cars going your direction to trigger the signal. In that case, is there generally cross traffic? If not, even stick in the mud law abiding me will run a persistent red. If a bicyclist runs a light in the forest.....cyclerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10331461189944538729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-90515267638479716582010-06-03T16:08:54.251-05:002010-06-03T16:08:54.251-05:00Of course the average Ninja just runs the light (c...Of course the average Ninja just runs the light (cross traffic, what cross traffic?)<br /><br />Most of the places I ride just have timed lights- they change all night and whether anyone is there or not. They have different timing at different times of day, and a few of them downtown actually blink after 2AM, but if I'm at work that late, I normally get myself a zipcar to get home...<br />If I see a camera controlled light, I'll do my best to set it off though!cyclerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10331461189944538729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-77154497809502064392010-06-03T08:59:20.567-05:002010-06-03T08:59:20.567-05:00There are so many cameras mounted at intersections...There are so many cameras mounted at intersections In These Troubled Times I'm not sure which ones are VIVDS. Is there a key identifying feature of a VIVDS cam?John Romeo Alphahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01289456379789026152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-8812387888007996402010-06-02T22:31:25.200-05:002010-06-02T22:31:25.200-05:00I haven't noticed any cams here, but I'm f...I haven't noticed any cams here, but I'm familiar with setting up zones on security cams at work designed to trigger (or not trigger) on motion... nice post. I continue to appreciate your engineering ways and useful links to "real" information.RANTWICKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15394479078513545568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-69352727188979978942010-06-02T22:12:36.617-05:002010-06-02T22:12:36.617-05:00Good stuff, Steve. Thanks. Your site definitely ge...Good stuff, Steve. Thanks. Your site definitely gets added to the Los Alamos List of Infamy.Khalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11866897914538110672noreply@blogger.com