Red Revert Lights -Ottawa
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Red Revert Lights -Ottawa
No doubt, some of you will confirm with this article why you should run red lights and stop signs, but that's not the point of this thread. So let's stay on topic.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/cyclist-red-reverts-light-safety-1.5153269
I find this another case of a system working as designed but not as intended. I would think a simple fix is to have traffic signals maintain their colour for the standard 30 seconds before changing. But these light change as soon as the bicycle rides off the sensors. And bad drivers who proceed on the cross traffic light instead of their own crash into cyclists still crossing the intersection.
Do you have red-revert lights in your city?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/cyclist-red-reverts-light-safety-1.5153269
I find this another case of a system working as designed but not as intended. I would think a simple fix is to have traffic signals maintain their colour for the standard 30 seconds before changing. But these light change as soon as the bicycle rides off the sensors. And bad drivers who proceed on the cross traffic light instead of their own crash into cyclists still crossing the intersection.
Do you have red-revert lights in your city?
#2
Tragically Ignorant
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,613
Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM
Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,098 Times
in
5,054 Posts
No doubt, some of you will confirm with this article why you should run red lights and stop signs, but that's not the point of this thread. So let's stay on topic.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...afety-1.5153269
I find this another case of a system working as designed but not as intended. I would think a simple fix is to have traffic signals maintain their colour for the standard 30 seconds before changing. But these light change as soon as the bicycle rides off the sensors. And bad drivers who proceed on the cross traffic light instead of their own crash into cyclists still crossing the intersection.
Do you have red-revert lights in your city?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...afety-1.5153269
I find this another case of a system working as designed but not as intended. I would think a simple fix is to have traffic signals maintain their colour for the standard 30 seconds before changing. But these light change as soon as the bicycle rides off the sensors. And bad drivers who proceed on the cross traffic light instead of their own crash into cyclists still crossing the intersection.
Do you have red-revert lights in your city?
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 5,972
Bikes: 2015 Charge Plug, 2007 Dahon Boardwalk, 1997 Nishiki Blazer, 1984 Nishiki International, 2006 Felt F65, 1989 Dahon Getaway V
Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1364 Post(s)
Liked 1,677 Times
in
827 Posts
I'm not aware of any in Colorado Springs, except that the article described exactly a situation that has occurred to me about once a year at an intersection by my home. I wait at a red light, cross traffic gets a yellow, then a red, and then when I expect to get the green myself, cross traffic gets the green instead.
If this is intentional, it is very dangerous for all who use the intersection, cars, cyclists and pedestrians who don;t press the crosswalk request button.
"My" intersection uses optical sensors, and while they work better at detecting cyclists than the in-ground sensors they replaced, they are not 100% perfect and fail to detect me every couple of months. And depending on wind and weather (I assume), I have witnessed them failing to detect full-size vehicles.
If this is intentional, it is very dangerous for all who use the intersection, cars, cyclists and pedestrians who don;t press the crosswalk request button.
"My" intersection uses optical sensors, and while they work better at detecting cyclists than the in-ground sensors they replaced, they are not 100% perfect and fail to detect me every couple of months. And depending on wind and weather (I assume), I have witnessed them failing to detect full-size vehicles.
#4
Senior Member
I too am in Ottawa and am aware of this issue. I am also wondering if the recent collision of the guy from a cab going 45 km/hr over the speed limit was an issue due to the light. Remember the police blamed the cyclist, said he ran the light, was not wearing a reflective vest etc.
#5
Half way there
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,957
Bikes: Many, and the list changes frequently
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 986 Post(s)
Liked 880 Times
in
527 Posts
I had not heard of these. I understand why they may be an advantage; however it seems that the technology had not been well thought out for all road users.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Toronto, CANADA
Posts: 6,204
Bikes: ...a few.
Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2012 Post(s)
Liked 409 Times
in
235 Posts
What if you stayed on the sensors until the light turned to green? But most cyclists, myself included, start moving before the light turns green.
I do agree that it is a very dangerous situation. We don't have these where I live. Unless there are cars waiting with me I either run the red or mount the sidewalk to manually trigger the light.
I do agree that it is a very dangerous situation. We don't have these where I live. Unless there are cars waiting with me I either run the red or mount the sidewalk to manually trigger the light.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Posts: 4,811
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1591 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,018 Times
in
571 Posts
I'm not really seeing the advantage of such technology in the first place. Was there actually a problem this is seeking to solve?
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Southeast US
Posts: 921
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 318 Post(s)
Liked 149 Times
in
104 Posts
My city doesn't have red-revert, but the left-turn arrows across the four-lane highway are *very* short. I don't worry about the guy waiting at the light opposite me, but I worry very much about the guy in the next lane over, hidden from view, coasting up to the light so he can speed through when he gets his green.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Layton, UT
Posts: 1,606
Bikes: 2011 Bent TW Elegance 2014 Carbon Strada Velomobile
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 626 Post(s)
Liked 701 Times
in
418 Posts
I mean, I'd hate if some poor driver was inconvenienced by having to stop for a whole 30 seconds because a light triggered.....
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Toronto, CANADA
Posts: 6,204
Bikes: ...a few.
Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2012 Post(s)
Liked 409 Times
in
235 Posts
Presumably the advantage is that the cyclist doesn't have get on the sidewalk to press the pedestrian crossing button to trigger a light change. Presently cars already have a trigger in the form of some magnetic strip on the road to trigger a light change. The difference with car trigger is that even if the car moves off before the light turns green the light still stays green. I can't understand why the same protocol can't be used with these yellow dots.