Left turn on a red light at a sensored intersection

[CdotRamos]

I am a new rider this year. Took my bike, Vulcan 500, out for a short ride last Saturday. I cam to an intersection and was the only vehicle waiting to turn left. The light never changed. Then I realized that it was an intersection that had a weight sensor for the traffic lights. I just went right as I had no specific destination int his case.

My question is if anyone has had experience where they made the left turn on the red in these intersections in front of law enforcement and if it is legal or not. These lights seem to be gaining popularity on main arteries that lead into residential neighbourhoods.

Last year I had a scooter and remember seeing some magnetic discs online that were supposed to affect the sensors.

I want to get to the bottom of this!

 

[GreyGhost]

The sensors detect metal moving over them, not weight. If the light is broken, you can proceed when safe. If it never changes, obviously it's broken, but if a cop sees you turn left on red and wants to be annoying, you will have to fight it out in traffic court.

1)Call the city and let them know the sensor needs to be adjusted and they will turn up the sensitivity so it works for you.
2)I have had luck dragging the centre stand while riding (the magnets shouldn't really work, but some people say they do)
3)When stuck at a light, I normally do right turn, u-turn, then straight through. It's less likely to draw unwanted attention.

 

[Brian P]

It is not a weight sensor; it is an electrical-conductivity sensor. It is looking for an object that conducts electricity above it. Sometimes you can stop directly on top of the visible lines for the sensor's wiring in the pavement. You can try putting your side-stand down directly on top of one of those lines. Or ... you get off the bike and go press the pedestrian walk button.

Magnets won't help any more than an equivalent chunk of metal would. The sensor looks for material that conducts electricity. Whether that material is magnetic or not is not relevant.

An increasing number of US states are adopting laws that allow a motorcyclist or bicyclist to proceed against a red light provided that they do it in safety (treating it as a stop sign) and generally after having stopped for a period of time. Ontario is not one of them.

A cop can't write a ticket for something that they didn't see you do. We'll just leave that there for you to interpret as you wish ...

Personally, if I were stuck in the front of a line at such an intersection and there was a cop behind me in the line, I'd get off the bike and go talk to the cop directly. "Following the instructions of a police officer" is legal ...

 

[CdotRamos]

Thats good to know. I always assumed it was a weight sensor. I will try a couple of those on the one by my place as see what works best for me.

Ive noticed that most of these intersections are marked with the 3 dots that usually indicate the location of the sensor.

Thanks for the good info. Now just make some consistently nice weather and I'll be happy

 

[tat2]

Ive noticed that most of these intersections are marked with the 3 dots that usually indicate the location of the sensor.

The 3 dots are extra sensor loops designed for bicycles, stop over them if you see them they work just as well for us.

As noted above, stop on the cut where the sensor wire is. If it doesn't work call the city where the sensor is located & request it be adjusted. If there is someone behind you motion for them to move up over the sensor, give them more room if needed.

 

[Ugur Dinch]

Sometimes you can stop directly on top of the visible lines for the sensor's wiring in the pavement.

Also this:

Bike dots – or "bicycle detector pavement markings," as they're officially called – are traffic sensors sensitive enough to detect cyclists stopped at a red light, just like they do for cars.
They're strategically placed on the sensors' "sweet spot," where bikes are more easily detected, according to city documents. Cyclists can wait a long time for the light to change if they don't stop at the right spot.

Source

Which looks like this:

Also, you won't find inductive loop wiring at every intersection, especially on small streets. And if the light is not changing, that is because there is a laser detector (located on top of traffic lights), and the lens probably needs some cleaning.

FYI, I never bother with the pedestrian button. I just watch the countdown, and if the light didn't change, I proceed when clear.

 

[PLau]

Isn't it illegal to "park" your bike in the middle of the road to walk over to press the pedestrian walk button anyways?

Might as well treat it as a malfunctioning light - treat it as an all way stop.

I usually wait for the countdown to reset to walk before I go.

 

[Rob MacLennan]

Isn't it illegal to "park" your bike in the middle of the road to walk over to press the pedestrian walk button anyways?

Might as well treat it as a malfunctioning light - treat it as an all way stop.

I usually wait for the countdown to reset to walk before I go.

You're far less likely to be fined for trying to make a light work than you are for running a red, however justified it might be. You are risking the loss of your vehicle though, should someone decide to take it while it's running and you're not in control of it.

 

[Cat13]

You're far less likely to be fined for trying to make a light work than you are for running a red, however justified it might be. You are risking the loss of your vehicle though, should someone decide to take it while it's running and you're not in control of it.

Comes down to what kind of day the cop is having. There's a lot of little legal things they can be ******* on if they are having a bad day.