Traffic Light - Weight Sensors & Motorcycles

DECIMIS

DECIMIS

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Was all by myself stopped at red light, eastbound at Colombus Rd & Thickson Rd, Whitby.

Waited for what seemed like 2+ minutes, no other vehicles came, and the lights and walk signals hadn't changed. Pondered the situation, looked around, still nobody coming so dismounted (edit: grow a pair and just burn it next time?!) and walked over and pushed the pedestrian crossing button. A few seconds later signals started to change.

Do traffic light weight sensors sometimes not notice motorcycles? Has this happened to you? What have you done?

(I'm on a 300 and weigh 160lbs if this is important?)

Edit: Or was I just impatient?
 
Treat it as a 4 way stop and proceed when its safe or right turn and u-turn. Only had to walk over to the pedestrian button 2-3 times in my 3 years of riding and thats cause it was from a small street to a main street with constant traffic mid-day....

There are some lights where you can stop right beside the "tar snake" box cut out and the sensor will trip but it only works maybe 30% of the time for me.

Oh yeah, and they're not weight sensors.
 
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^ beat me to it.

There is a wire loop (square shaped) in the pavement that uses a magnetic field to see if there is a car there which triggers the lights.

You have to park your motorcycle on the line for it to have a chance to pick you up.


There is a rule (someone correct me if i'm wrong) that says if the traffic lights do a full cycle, and don't change it's malfunctioning, and you can treat the intersection like a four-way stop.
Don't quote me on that though.
 
Thanks guys! Both helpful posts teaching me about what's really going on, and alternate options. Much appreciated!
 
You can also contact Whitbys Traffic Engineering dept, and let them know of the issue your having.

They can adjust the light accordingly ..
 
PLau said:
There are some lights where you can stop right beside the "tar snake" box cut out and the sensor will trip but it only works maybe 30% of the time for me.

Oh yeah, and they're not weight sensors.
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Kick stand down on tar snake has worked for me in the past.
 
I think you can get a ticket for hopping off the bike and pressing the pedestrian button.
 
Not weight sensor, not magnetic. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_loop

Usually best way to deal with them is turn right and pull a U-turn, unforunately. If it's one you live near, you might have some luck contacting the people responsible for the light to get the sensitivity increased.
 
TwistedKestrel said:
Not weight sensor, not magnetic. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_loop

Usually best way to deal with them is turn right and pull a U-turn, unforunately. If it's one you live near, you might have some luck contacting the people responsible for the light to get the sensitivity increased.
Click to expand...

Technically it is magnetism. Magnitic field of car inducing eddy currents into thelooped wire.
I usually just wait for a car to come behind me if its daytime. But night time it's either wait awhile then proceed when safe or right turn then uturn.
 
Treating it as 4 way stop will result in a $300+ ticket. Trust me :/

Best to right turn and head down the street a tad bit and U turn around.
 
The sensors are directly under the tar snakes just stop on top of one of the tar snakes and it should change for you. I tried it out once and it's worked for me most of the time.
 
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DECIMIS said:
Was all by myself stopped at red light, eastbound at Colombus Rd & Thickson Rd, Whitby.

Waited for what seemed like 2+ minutes, no other vehicles came, and the lights and walk signals hadn't changed. Pondered the situation, looked around, still nobody coming so dismounted (edit: grow a pair and just burn it next time?!) and walked over and pushed the pedestrian crossing button. A few seconds later signals started to change.

Do traffic light weight sensors sometimes not notice motorcycles? Has this happened to you? What have you done?

(I'm on a 300 and weigh 160lbs if this is important?)

Edit: Or was I just impatient?
Click to expand...

i called the city and they increased the sensitivity on 2 for me last year, ive got to call the back for the same one this year plus another 1 thats been driving me nuts.

ive heard about some sort of magnets you can get tat interrupt the electrical loop field better but i dont know if its just snake oil or fact.
 
Some intersections will have 3 white circles on the right side of the lane. They are used for bicycles to get the light to turn green for them so I will stop on them sometimes.

if I wait for two cycles I just treat it as a four way stop and make sure police aren't around or try and avoid the intersection in the future.
 
TwistedKestrel said:
Not weight sensor, not magnetic. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_loop
.
Click to expand...

I dunno who wrote the wiki.. but it technically is incorrect. who cares. it is the electrical characteristics that causes the relay to trip.. and the light sequence to cycle..

wiki says
When a vehicle passes over the loop or is stopped within the loop, the vehicle induces eddy currents in the wire loops, which decrease their inductance. The decreased inductance actuates the electronics unit output relay or solid-state optically isolated output, which sends a pulse to the traffic signal controller signifying the passage or presence of a vehicle

the truth is
When a METAL vehicle passes over the loop or is stopped within the loop, the vehicle reduces the reluctance in the wire loops, because the metal is easier for magnetic coupling than air so more current flows in the trigger circuit. The increased current actuates the electronics unit output relay or solid-state optically isolated output, which sends a pulse to the traffic signal controller signifying the passage or presence of a vehicle

knowing that more METAL in the loop ,,or closer to the ground loop.. will trigger the light cycle.. you need a bigger bike, or stop near the edge of the loop,, or put some metal near the loop like your side stand... will trigger the light cycle.

also,, iirc ,, they put stars ,, or some marking on a smaller ground loop,, and if you park over it.. it will trigger
 
What I've learned about riding in Whitby and area is If you are going to catch a red light from a secondary road to a main road is make a right turn and u turn, or you can take the chance on stopping and going through on the red.

I've come across so many of them from secondary roads to main roads that I've just adjusted the way I ride in the evening so I don't get stuck waiting forever to make a left turn.

No matter what people say about the hta and traffic lights the bottom line is a cop in a bad mood or not understanding the situation = a wasted day in court to fight a ticket if you choose to go through the red.

I'm on a Drz which has a lot of ground clearance so that may be part of the problem for me if someone could post a contact number to have them adjusted I can think of a few very close to me that are a PITA and need to be adjusted.
 
starboy869 said:
Did, and lost. It was proven that the lights were working.
Click to expand...

uhhh.....more info please? Did you just blow through the red light and tried to blame the traffic light?


No doubt that the traffic light was in working order. But the point is question is that the design or setup (sensitivity) of the magnetic loop that cannot be triggered by your motor vehicle (given that it is road legal).
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