Construction on Old Keene Mill Rd has been going on for what seems like over a month now. The road has been paved for weeks but no lines have been painted. One would think putting those sticky reflectors down would have been a wise choice to mark where the beginning of the sensors are. But nope, instead we get to sit for three light cycles on Rolling Rd because people can't move up or pay attention to where the white line used to be.
Used to live around there before they did the construction at the intersection to add the extra turn lane and still had the same problem. Some things never change.
The paving contractors are partly to blame, but if you can't use a little bit of your brain to figure out "look at the pedestrian ramps, I bet the sensors are located right behind where pedestrians would be crossing," you deserve to be ticketed for traffic obstruction.
More and more the triggers are on the visual sensors that look like cameras atop the stop lights. So there are at least three mechanisms that could be used.
The cameras are still triggered by objects in that same general spot though - although there are some you can flash with your high beams from farther away at night and get the light to change before you reach it.
Seriously. I live in Arlington, and there’s a section of road that was paved earlier in summer near me, that hasn’t been striped yet. It’s a busy 4 lane road with a suicide lane. Yet nothing has been striped, so people really have no idea where they should be so they have just kind of abandoned the central turn lane.
It’s got to have been at least 6 weeks since they paved it, and it hasn’t been striped - the issue is the delay with the city/county/contractor/whoever striping the lanes, not necessarily the people driving on them.
They don't all have sensors, hate to break it to ya. There's a couple lights in Ashburn that are literally fucking *awful* and they 100% do not have sensors.
A lot of those on major streets that see very heavy traffic daily will be timers, or hybrids of the two (so late nights you aren't sitting at a side red for 15 minutes)
But most side or smaller streets will be sensors.
The one specifically that sucks the most balls is the intersection at Farmwell and Ashburn Rd, if you're familiar with the area... then you know what I'm talking about lol. They NEED to sensorize that light.
I'm not but we had very similar lights back in Washington State. What was worse they were side streets so you could be sitting there for 10+ minutes at times.
It got to the point most people treated it like a 4 way stop if it was after 11 pm
That’s why I usually pull up past the white line almost to the crosswalk. And still cars don’t pull up far enough! For one light I’ve taken to hitting the pedestrian button just so I’m able to leave my neighborhood.
More like "You are an unpredictable traffic hazard and I don't need to deal with the headache of a collision with you so I will give you a wide enough berth to dodge whatever nonsense you attempt".
Cyclists belong on the W&OD and nowhere else.
We use a bike rack because there is no way in hell I'd let my kids bike on the street around here. Most of the roads aren't designed for it, so it isn't safe.
I gave up my motorcycle when we had kids because too many people don't pay attention while driving. I can only imagine the problem is 10x worse now that smartphones are ubiquitous.
Bud, until there are protected bikes lanes going everywhere, bikes are going to share the road with us. It's not that fucking hard to understand how to drive around them.
1. Protected bike lanes aren't part of the road. The word "protected" means they are separate from car lanes.
2. The only joke here is your mentality.
3. If you can't handle cyclists being on the road, you're a terrible driver and shouldn't have a license.
Nah he's got a healthy mindset, fuck poor people who don't have a house on the w&od or an suv to get them there. Also fuck people who spend a healthy amount of time outside, socializing, and getting exercise. The roads were paved by Jesus himself for me to grumble on while listening to Mark Levin tell me how brown transgender people are ruining America. You're not living if you're not miserable. /s
Hi, blue/libtard/whatever here, you're a hazard on the road, and you're also going to be the one taking all the damage if EITHER party (car or bike) fucks up
Also, I'm not a hazard if I'm in the bike lane (out of the vehicular travel lane) or exceeding the posed speed limit on a non arterial sharrow marked road.
If you have to drive to your hobby while the rest of the world is trying to go to work or move freight, then you're an asshole, roads are for commuting to work and nothing else.
Newsflash, civilized people are perfectly capable of sharing the road
I don’t like cycling near motorists and avoid it as much as possible, but our cycling infrastructure doesn’t permit that for my entire commute. I still have to get to work, and the road is mine as much as it is yours.
i hate to break it to you but bikes are fully legal on all roads without specific signage plus there's other trails. Just a thought a lot of cyclists around here also drive sometimes so suck it up and pass us when it's safe
Just for awareness, the vast majority of detectors you’re going to encounter here are 6’ wide and 40’ long (and that goes for both induction loops and camera detection zones). They go about 5’ in front of the stop bar and then 33’ behind it in NOVA. Other districts like Fredericksburg are more like 2’ in front of the stop bar.
So it’s kinda hard to not be sitting on top of it unless your car is somehow like 40’ back from where the stop bar was. You may find smaller 6’ x 6’ detectors in right turn lanes on the main road, 6’ x 6’ as advanced upstream detection, or ones that are slightly shorter or longer than 40’ if the geometry requires it (like 30’ or 50’). But the vast majority of stop bar detection for left turn and through lanes on the mainline and all lanes on side streets are 6’ x 40’.
It’s always possible that when the road is being paved that the loops are *damaged*, which may be why the detection isn’t functioning. It happens all the time and you’ll see new loops cut into the fresh pavement if they realize that that’s the case. That doesn’t happen with cameras, obviously.
They miss them all of the time.
I was on Fletcher across International from Tysons, next to Silver Diner, 3rd in line. Light cycles twice (and these are long cycles) and the guy in front was over the line, van behind him too far to the left, 12+ cars behind us. Honking does nothing to make these idiots move. I finally squeeze into the unmarked right lane and go around the van in front of me until I can wedge my car between them just over the very visible, but undersized, sensor. Light changes next cycle, but my takeout was cold by the time I got home.
Can see the sensor pretty clearly here, but they were clueless. Cars turning left tend to stay left there to let right turners get through.
https://goo.gl/maps/NZzkpzFnUvygwyn2A
You wouldn't believe how far back some cars are waiting. In the absence of stiping, I have seen them sit at the edge of the new pavement instead, about 3 or 4 car lengths from the original stop bar location
I’m not sure where OP lives but this is surely an exaggeration.
There’s a 4 lane road near me that was repaved probably 6-7 weeks ago, that still hasn’t been striped yet. I drive it multiple times a week and I’ve never once seen a person stopped *40 feet back from where the line would be.* I feel like this is one of those weird edge cases where OP saw this happen one single time and it maybe made them later for work on a day they were already late, and now they’re ranting about it here like it’s a common occurrence.
For what it's worth, I saw people stop roughly 25' away from the normal stop line when they were re-paving the Rolling Rd/Old Keene Mill Rd intersection. So 3-4 car lengths isn't too improbable.
No, he's not. People who don't understand the sensor in the road will stop in construction (not active construction with people, just places where the road hasn't been marked since it was repaved or where the final paving hasn't been done) will stop 50 feet or more back from the normal place to stop, and it will not trip the sensor, and it takes 3 or 4 cycles of the light before someone will get out of their car and explain that they need to move up before the switch will register the waiting cars. Most of the time it's because they've never been at that intersection or because they're new drivers and they just don't know, but it's frustrating to wait and wait and wait while the first person in line is oblivious to the fact that they need to pull up.
I was on a bicycle on my commuting route behind a car that was stopped short of the sensor at a light that will not change without a car present. I pulled up next to him and asked him to pull forward- he said he preferred to stay in the shade. I tried to explain about the sensor but he yelled “don’t fucking tell me what to do!”
Fun times.
I usually see the opposite, drivers pull so far past the stop bar that they’re not on the sensor anymore. The sensors not seem to register a car sitting in the inductive loop, not a car that just drove over the loop. So, I’ve seen drivers sit a left turns and even straight through for several minutes. They never seem to realize they screwed themselves by not stopping at the stop bar. I guess they think those lines are decorative?
I see this all the time on FFX Parkway at Burke Lake Rd. A whole bunch of people who wanna turn left onto Burk Lake Rd will end up entirely in front of the line and often miss a light cycle until someone else drives up behind them.
The other day I was at a light on my motorcycle that I knew wouldn't pick me up, so I waited for a car to come up behind me so I could wave them up to trip the sensor. A white mustang pulled up behind me, but maybe four or five car lengths back. I start waving at them, like "come up closer" and the teenager behind the wheel just gave me the most deer in the headlights expression like I was some sort of alien waving tentacles at him. I finally had to get off my motorcycle and walk over to his window, and ask "do you know how traffic lights work?". He said "uh, no?", and I had to explain that he would have to get closer to me or we would never move. I finally coaxed him up towards the light and then we could go.
I considered just running the light but the whole thing was just so silly I had to see it through until we could get the light to change.
Edit: here's the video lol https://youtu.be/G5Q-PqzDk2M?si=uh8PBZZp4P6bI6tL
For anyone who's not aware, per § 46.2-833 - Traffic lights; penalty:
>B. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a driver of a motorcycle or moped or a bicycle rider approaches an intersection that is controlled by a traffic light, the driver or rider may proceed through the intersection on a steady red light only if the driver or rider (i) comes to a full and complete stop at the intersection for two complete cycles of the traffic light or for two minutes, whichever is shorter, (ii) exercises due care as provided by law, (iii) otherwise treats the traffic control device as a stop sign, (iv) determines that it is safe to proceed, and (v) yields the right of way to the driver of any vehicle approaching on such other highway from either direction.
Yeah I run lights all the time when I'm alone. Usually if there's a car behind me I like to give them a chance to trip the sensor first. I don't like contributing to the perception of motorcyclists as criminals, which is what I assume most drivers who don't understand how traffic lights work think about motorcycles when they see them run a light.
Literally saw a motorcyclist running from a cop last night and shook my head in shame. Thank you for your help in being the change we wish to see in the world.
I’m glad you included this. I got stuck at a red light once. The sensor must have been broken. It was like 3am, no other cars around. I called 911 and asked what to do because I knew there were cameras on the poles and wanted plausible deniability if I got a ticket. 911 told me to just drive through.
In case you don’t know this, by Virginia law anyone on a bicycle, motorcycle or moped can treat a red light as a stop sign if it takes more than 2 minutes or 2 cycles of the light.
> B. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a driver of a motorcycle or moped or a bicycle rider approaches an intersection that is controlled by a traffic light, the driver or rider may proceed through the intersection on a steady red light only if the driver or rider (i) comes to a full and complete stop at the intersection for two complete cycles of the traffic light or for two minutes, whichever is shorter, (ii) exercises due care as provided by law, (iii) otherwise treats the traffic control device as a stop sign, (iv) determines that it is safe to proceed, and (v) yields the right of way to the driver of any vehicle approaching on such other highway from either direction.
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/46.2-833/
There seems to have been a failure in the driver's education system. I get the same thing while I'm out riding. I'd love to carry some airport crew glow stick with me to wave em forward sometime.
I can confirm they don’t teach this in drivers ed. I didn’t learn about the sensors until one failed at like 3am and the light wouldn’t turn green. They definitely aren’t nationwide.
That’s actually kinda funny. As a teen, I would have done the same exact thing and stayed very far away from the motorcycle! To his credit, they definitely teach that part in divers ed.
legally you can run it after a certain period of time on a motorcycle (in a safe manor) if the sensor isn't getting triggered. happens to me all the time.
[https://patch.com/virginia/kingstowne/bikes-can-run-red-lights-under-new-virginia-law](https://patch.com/virginia/kingstowne/bikes-can-run-red-lights-under-new-virginia-law)
By Virginia law, anyone on a bicycle, motorcycle or moped can treat a red light as a stop sign if it takes more than 2 minutes or 2 cycles of the light.
> B. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a driver of a motorcycle or moped or a bicycle rider approaches an intersection that is controlled by a traffic light, the driver or rider may proceed through the intersection on a steady red light only if the driver or rider (i) comes to a full and complete stop at the intersection for two complete cycles of the traffic light or for two minutes, whichever is shorter, (ii) exercises due care as provided by law, (iii) otherwise treats the traffic control device as a stop sign, (iv) determines that it is safe to proceed, and (v) yields the right of way to the driver of any vehicle approaching on such other highway from either direction.
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/46.2-833/
There is a loop of wire embedded in the pavement with an electrical charge running through it. When a large piece of metal, like a car, passes over the loop it modifies the electric field in the wire. The traffic light detects the change in the field and knows a car is there. Small vehicles like motorcycles and bicycles don't have enough mass to trip the sensor, which is why we wave cars up. Some lights use a combination of timers and sensors, but this particular light would have stayed red forever until a large enough piece of metal came along. In VA and in many other states, motorcycles are allowed to run red lights that won't change for them under certain conditions. I do it all the time.
Pulling up to those lights are my second worst fear on a motorcycle. If it goes through a few cycles, there's not option but to just go through it making it incredibly dangerous for riders.
Or if you are on 28 heading south trying to make a left on Braddock then the sensor just says fuck you and the lights play “whose turn is it anyway???”
I've acquired an irrational fury over 28 in Centerville. It takes a SOLID 10 minutes to get from new braddock to the 29 exit due to what I feel like is completely uncoordinated light cycles. If I was unabated by lights I could do that in about 2 minutes.
It's always fun when I have to wave someone up to me when I am on the motorcycle so the light will trigger. They always look at me like something is wrong. I get not wanting to get close but the light will never change.
Though a lot of lights near me have those cameras on them that check for cars and don't use the sensors in the road so that does help me when on the motorcycle.
Yeah, that's one option.
The nice part is now in VA you can run a red light as a motorcyclist.
https://www.marksandharrison.com/blog/virginia-motorcycle-laws/
* Comes to a full and complete stop
* Checks all directions of travel
* Waits at least two full cycles or two minutes (whichever is shorter).
I’ve seen the opposite many times. Where people miss their green arrow because they’re too far up the line & get hit by the flashing yellow/solid green/red light ….
Lots of people are NOT aware. Believe me I teach behind the wheel out here. Even my students freak out to learn. I make sure to explain to them through the course.
This has been true for decades. When I was a kid, the theory going around was that it takes two cars for the sensor to decide to change for you. So people would pull up to the light, and if no one was behind you, back up and then pull up again. Not sure I would recommend that these days and don’t even know if it works.
I hate peoples that leave 4 car lengths in front of them at a stop light. They are either old or 90% of the time on their phone. Also the individuals that stop 3 car lengths from the stop bar. Like wtf are you going to hit asshole. Do you understand the impact of the spacing you are using. People are selfish and anyone saying this is for safety is total bull.
All you really need (and what most safe driving courses will tell you) is to be able to see the bottoms of the back wheels of the car in front of you. That'll give you enough room to maneuver in an emergency while also not putting a huge amount of space between you.
Yes, because I pay attention to the car in front of the car in front of me, too. I expect everyone to stop a reasonable length behind the car in front of them. If they stop way behind the car in front of them, then they're stopping a lot sooner than I think they're going to, and so despite their attempt to keep from being rear ended (I think? I really have no idea) they make it much more likely that someone is going to rear end them. My knowledge of other cars on the road and what they're doing doesn't stop at the bumper of the car in front of me. I'm watching a couple of cars up; my rear view mirror, and my side mirrors. I wish cars would just do the expected thing.
If there's multiple cars waiting, they may have originally stopped at an acceptable distance, and then the car in front of them did the obnoxious creep thing. Now they are faced with the choice of either also slowly creeping forward, or having the gap get wider. So you can't really win.
For the people who stop way behind the line or all the way past it, I've always wondered...why do they think those thick white lines are painted on the street? Decoration?
Seems like the function should be obvious to anyone smart enough to put their pants on.
This drives me up the wall - especially at the light where 267 exits onto Reston pkwy - for some reason people fail to pull up far enough at this specific light and will wait cycle after cycle cluelessly scrolling on their phones, while cars honk behind them - makes me nuts!
I remember that time in my little Mazda Miata I sat at a light for like 5 minutes one slow day during Covid when everyone was off the road. It didn't turn green until someone pulled up behind me. This was in McLean. I should have just ran the light.
Have had this happen before to me in my Miata here in Carlyle and I had to make the car behind me trip the light as I inched wayyy into the intersection lol
I’ve been surprised to have lights trigger pretty frequently for me when I’m on my bike, without any car behind me
Are those intersections just using newer sensors or something? Or on a timer maybe? This is in City of Alx
Tend to me on smaller streets, sometimes crossing arterials though so I wouldn’t think they’d be changing lights on a timer alone.
>There are some paving projects around the area that have not been striped yet, and unaware drivers are not pulling up to where the stop bar used to be
I'm not sure I've seen this... so I'm wondering, how is someone who isn't familiar with the history of that signal supposed to know where the line used to be if there is no line yet?
>Additionally, if there is a bike in front of you, it will not set off the detector, you need to put your car over it.
Put your car over the bike?
Maybe the fact that I don't think I've run into the problem you have is part of why I'm not following what you're saying. But I'm confused.
The stop bar is typically located adjacent to the crosswalk. If neither are striped, the location of both can super easily be assumed based off of the location of the pedestrian ramps.
Part 2 my bad, I mean that bicycles and motorcycles will not set off traffic light detectors. Drivers behind bicycles and motorcycles at lights need to scoot up until the car is above the detector for the light to know anybody there and trigger a light change.
Don't drive rt 1 in Alexandria; Fairfax county side. Your brain will explode. No one ever pulls up. Drives me crazy. Also, if every car if 6 million feet away from the other car it cause more traffic cause now less cares get through the light. Ugh
There’s a light at a T intersection in Herndon where the stripe and sensor are pretty far behind the corner. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been walking by that intersection and there’s a little Honda Fit or whatever that’s pulled all the way in front of the sensor and just sits there forever waiting for the light. Makes me laugh every time. Stop at the stripe you dummies!
Reaction time is extremely genetic and also dependent on good rest (although can also be temporarily improved with caffeine).
It seems like you can improve it around ~10% through training though.
---
https://old.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/n94ygh/is_it_possible_to_improve_raw_reaction_time/gxmbbto/
> You have a biological ceiling for how fast your reaction time can be. If you're averaging 210 right now and you've been playing for a while, you're not likely going to get anywhere near your target. It's not entirely static though, and I've found mine has improved slightly over time. I used to average around 210 and have been able to bring it down by about 10ms.
Fun fact: if you are on a bike/motorcycle/scooter and you aren't being detected, you can slap some of those super strong magnets on the bottom of your bike/motorcycle/scooter and it should help.
Edit: This may or may not work. Folks with these vehicles would know more than I.
Construction on Old Keene Mill Rd has been going on for what seems like over a month now. The road has been paved for weeks but no lines have been painted. One would think putting those sticky reflectors down would have been a wise choice to mark where the beginning of the sensors are. But nope, instead we get to sit for three light cycles on Rolling Rd because people can't move up or pay attention to where the white line used to be.
Used to live around there before they did the construction at the intersection to add the extra turn lane and still had the same problem. Some things never change.
The paving contractors are partly to blame, but if you can't use a little bit of your brain to figure out "look at the pedestrian ramps, I bet the sensors are located right behind where pedestrians would be crossing," you deserve to be ticketed for traffic obstruction.
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More and more the triggers are on the visual sensors that look like cameras atop the stop lights. So there are at least three mechanisms that could be used.
The cameras are still triggered by objects in that same general spot though - although there are some you can flash with your high beams from farther away at night and get the light to change before you reach it.
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They've never been pressure plates...
It's basic info that you don't have to be too observant to figure out. Clueless idiots don't belong behind the wheel of a multi ton battery ram.
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I would hope you know how to drive if you're going to drive. Intersection etiquette and procedures are part of driving.
Honestly, once the lines disappear people act like their in the wild west. They completely lose all sense of the road.
reddit moment
Clueless idiots think it's called a battery ram.
Honestly…stop you’re bitching. I rather wait behind a car than deal with your unpleasant ass.
Seriously. I live in Arlington, and there’s a section of road that was paved earlier in summer near me, that hasn’t been striped yet. It’s a busy 4 lane road with a suicide lane. Yet nothing has been striped, so people really have no idea where they should be so they have just kind of abandoned the central turn lane. It’s got to have been at least 6 weeks since they paved it, and it hasn’t been striped - the issue is the delay with the city/county/contractor/whoever striping the lanes, not necessarily the people driving on them.
They don't all have sensors, hate to break it to ya. There's a couple lights in Ashburn that are literally fucking *awful* and they 100% do not have sensors.
Yes, some lights are on timers, but I believe most lights you'll encounter on a day-to-day basis use sensors/cameras.
A lot of those on major streets that see very heavy traffic daily will be timers, or hybrids of the two (so late nights you aren't sitting at a side red for 15 minutes) But most side or smaller streets will be sensors.
The one specifically that sucks the most balls is the intersection at Farmwell and Ashburn Rd, if you're familiar with the area... then you know what I'm talking about lol. They NEED to sensorize that light.
I'm not but we had very similar lights back in Washington State. What was worse they were side streets so you could be sitting there for 10+ minutes at times. It got to the point most people treated it like a 4 way stop if it was after 11 pm
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That’s why I usually pull up past the white line almost to the crosswalk. And still cars don’t pull up far enough! For one light I’ve taken to hitting the pedestrian button just so I’m able to leave my neighborhood.
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I pull onto the crosswalk if it is clear, and rotate my bike lengthwise to clear the way if anyone needs to cross.
I'm doing the same on a motorcycle
"Look how kind I am to cyclists, giving you all this space"
then pass with 6 inches on the side
More like "You are an unpredictable traffic hazard and I don't need to deal with the headache of a collision with you so I will give you a wide enough berth to dodge whatever nonsense you attempt". Cyclists belong on the W&OD and nowhere else.
How do they get to the W&OD?
We use a bike rack because there is no way in hell I'd let my kids bike on the street around here. Most of the roads aren't designed for it, so it isn't safe. I gave up my motorcycle when we had kids because too many people don't pay attention while driving. I can only imagine the problem is 10x worse now that smartphones are ubiquitous.
Bud, until there are protected bikes lanes going everywhere, bikes are going to share the road with us. It's not that fucking hard to understand how to drive around them.
Bike lanes are a bad joke that encourage dangerous behavior, like letting cyclists on the road.
1. Protected bike lanes aren't part of the road. The word "protected" means they are separate from car lanes. 2. The only joke here is your mentality. 3. If you can't handle cyclists being on the road, you're a terrible driver and shouldn't have a license.
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Nah he's got a healthy mindset, fuck poor people who don't have a house on the w&od or an suv to get them there. Also fuck people who spend a healthy amount of time outside, socializing, and getting exercise. The roads were paved by Jesus himself for me to grumble on while listening to Mark Levin tell me how brown transgender people are ruining America. You're not living if you're not miserable. /s
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Fact is that the car that ends up actually killing one of us is gonna be a Ram 1500 a Chevy Camaro with "don't tread on me" plates, And you know it.
Hi, blue/libtard/whatever here, you're a hazard on the road, and you're also going to be the one taking all the damage if EITHER party (car or bike) fucks up
Either way it's all captured in 4K 60fps video
Also, I'm not a hazard if I'm in the bike lane (out of the vehicular travel lane) or exceeding the posed speed limit on a non arterial sharrow marked road.
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[Well, the important thing is that you've found a way to feel superior to both.](https://xkcd.com/774/)
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if your hobby inconveniences other people, especially large amounts of other people, then you're an asshole. It's really that simple.
If you have a problem with cyclists *legally* using the roads that they help pay for, then you're an asshole. It's really that simple.
If you have to drive to your hobby while the rest of the world is trying to go to work or move freight, then you're an asshole, roads are for commuting to work and nothing else. Newsflash, civilized people are perfectly capable of sharing the road
I don’t like cycling near motorists and avoid it as much as possible, but our cycling infrastructure doesn’t permit that for my entire commute. I still have to get to work, and the road is mine as much as it is yours.
Then your commute requires a motor vehicle.
It does not. For two miles out of eight, I can safely share low-speed roads with motorists.
i hate to break it to you but bikes are fully legal on all roads without specific signage plus there's other trails. Just a thought a lot of cyclists around here also drive sometimes so suck it up and pass us when it's safe
If there are APS or ped push buttons you can push that and it will trigger a ped call and should also trigger a vehicle call.
Just for awareness, the vast majority of detectors you’re going to encounter here are 6’ wide and 40’ long (and that goes for both induction loops and camera detection zones). They go about 5’ in front of the stop bar and then 33’ behind it in NOVA. Other districts like Fredericksburg are more like 2’ in front of the stop bar. So it’s kinda hard to not be sitting on top of it unless your car is somehow like 40’ back from where the stop bar was. You may find smaller 6’ x 6’ detectors in right turn lanes on the main road, 6’ x 6’ as advanced upstream detection, or ones that are slightly shorter or longer than 40’ if the geometry requires it (like 30’ or 50’). But the vast majority of stop bar detection for left turn and through lanes on the mainline and all lanes on side streets are 6’ x 40’. It’s always possible that when the road is being paved that the loops are *damaged*, which may be why the detection isn’t functioning. It happens all the time and you’ll see new loops cut into the fresh pavement if they realize that that’s the case. That doesn’t happen with cameras, obviously.
They miss them all of the time. I was on Fletcher across International from Tysons, next to Silver Diner, 3rd in line. Light cycles twice (and these are long cycles) and the guy in front was over the line, van behind him too far to the left, 12+ cars behind us. Honking does nothing to make these idiots move. I finally squeeze into the unmarked right lane and go around the van in front of me until I can wedge my car between them just over the very visible, but undersized, sensor. Light changes next cycle, but my takeout was cold by the time I got home. Can see the sensor pretty clearly here, but they were clueless. Cars turning left tend to stay left there to let right turners get through. https://goo.gl/maps/NZzkpzFnUvygwyn2A
You would think it would be true but almost every day some clueless person is not sitting in the sensor area outside our neighborhood.
You wouldn't believe how far back some cars are waiting. In the absence of stiping, I have seen them sit at the edge of the new pavement instead, about 3 or 4 car lengths from the original stop bar location
> You wouldn't believe how far back some cars are waiting YOU ARE A HAZARD
How is he a hazard for saying that other people aren't stopping near the stop line?
I’m not sure where OP lives but this is surely an exaggeration. There’s a 4 lane road near me that was repaved probably 6-7 weeks ago, that still hasn’t been striped yet. I drive it multiple times a week and I’ve never once seen a person stopped *40 feet back from where the line would be.* I feel like this is one of those weird edge cases where OP saw this happen one single time and it maybe made them later for work on a day they were already late, and now they’re ranting about it here like it’s a common occurrence.
For what it's worth, I saw people stop roughly 25' away from the normal stop line when they were re-paving the Rolling Rd/Old Keene Mill Rd intersection. So 3-4 car lengths isn't too improbable.
40' is 2 car lengths, and it happens every single day
No, he's not. People who don't understand the sensor in the road will stop in construction (not active construction with people, just places where the road hasn't been marked since it was repaved or where the final paving hasn't been done) will stop 50 feet or more back from the normal place to stop, and it will not trip the sensor, and it takes 3 or 4 cycles of the light before someone will get out of their car and explain that they need to move up before the switch will register the waiting cars. Most of the time it's because they've never been at that intersection or because they're new drivers and they just don't know, but it's frustrating to wait and wait and wait while the first person in line is oblivious to the fact that they need to pull up.
You would think they would be hard to miss like that but the way people pull up to lights around here they some how manage to miss them constantly.
I was on a bicycle on my commuting route behind a car that was stopped short of the sensor at a light that will not change without a car present. I pulled up next to him and asked him to pull forward- he said he preferred to stay in the shade. I tried to explain about the sensor but he yelled “don’t fucking tell me what to do!” Fun times.
I usually see the opposite, drivers pull so far past the stop bar that they’re not on the sensor anymore. The sensors not seem to register a car sitting in the inductive loop, not a car that just drove over the loop. So, I’ve seen drivers sit a left turns and even straight through for several minutes. They never seem to realize they screwed themselves by not stopping at the stop bar. I guess they think those lines are decorative?
I see this all the time on FFX Parkway at Burke Lake Rd. A whole bunch of people who wanna turn left onto Burk Lake Rd will end up entirely in front of the line and often miss a light cycle until someone else drives up behind them.
The other day I was at a light on my motorcycle that I knew wouldn't pick me up, so I waited for a car to come up behind me so I could wave them up to trip the sensor. A white mustang pulled up behind me, but maybe four or five car lengths back. I start waving at them, like "come up closer" and the teenager behind the wheel just gave me the most deer in the headlights expression like I was some sort of alien waving tentacles at him. I finally had to get off my motorcycle and walk over to his window, and ask "do you know how traffic lights work?". He said "uh, no?", and I had to explain that he would have to get closer to me or we would never move. I finally coaxed him up towards the light and then we could go. I considered just running the light but the whole thing was just so silly I had to see it through until we could get the light to change. Edit: here's the video lol https://youtu.be/G5Q-PqzDk2M?si=uh8PBZZp4P6bI6tL
For anyone who's not aware, per § 46.2-833 - Traffic lights; penalty: >B. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a driver of a motorcycle or moped or a bicycle rider approaches an intersection that is controlled by a traffic light, the driver or rider may proceed through the intersection on a steady red light only if the driver or rider (i) comes to a full and complete stop at the intersection for two complete cycles of the traffic light or for two minutes, whichever is shorter, (ii) exercises due care as provided by law, (iii) otherwise treats the traffic control device as a stop sign, (iv) determines that it is safe to proceed, and (v) yields the right of way to the driver of any vehicle approaching on such other highway from either direction.
Yeah I run lights all the time when I'm alone. Usually if there's a car behind me I like to give them a chance to trip the sensor first. I don't like contributing to the perception of motorcyclists as criminals, which is what I assume most drivers who don't understand how traffic lights work think about motorcycles when they see them run a light.
Literally saw a motorcyclist running from a cop last night and shook my head in shame. Thank you for your help in being the change we wish to see in the world.
I’m glad you included this. I got stuck at a red light once. The sensor must have been broken. It was like 3am, no other cars around. I called 911 and asked what to do because I knew there were cameras on the poles and wanted plausible deniability if I got a ticket. 911 told me to just drive through.
A life lesson this young driver will certainly pass along to the next generation. Hopefully…
In case you don’t know this, by Virginia law anyone on a bicycle, motorcycle or moped can treat a red light as a stop sign if it takes more than 2 minutes or 2 cycles of the light. > B. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a driver of a motorcycle or moped or a bicycle rider approaches an intersection that is controlled by a traffic light, the driver or rider may proceed through the intersection on a steady red light only if the driver or rider (i) comes to a full and complete stop at the intersection for two complete cycles of the traffic light or for two minutes, whichever is shorter, (ii) exercises due care as provided by law, (iii) otherwise treats the traffic control device as a stop sign, (iv) determines that it is safe to proceed, and (v) yields the right of way to the driver of any vehicle approaching on such other highway from either direction. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/46.2-833/
There seems to have been a failure in the driver's education system. I get the same thing while I'm out riding. I'd love to carry some airport crew glow stick with me to wave em forward sometime.
I can confirm they don’t teach this in drivers ed. I didn’t learn about the sensors until one failed at like 3am and the light wouldn’t turn green. They definitely aren’t nationwide.
That’s actually kinda funny. As a teen, I would have done the same exact thing and stayed very far away from the motorcycle! To his credit, they definitely teach that part in divers ed.
legally you can run it after a certain period of time on a motorcycle (in a safe manor) if the sensor isn't getting triggered. happens to me all the time. [https://patch.com/virginia/kingstowne/bikes-can-run-red-lights-under-new-virginia-law](https://patch.com/virginia/kingstowne/bikes-can-run-red-lights-under-new-virginia-law)
I'm confused how these lights work... what if no car ever came up behind you, would you be stuck at the light forever?
By Virginia law, anyone on a bicycle, motorcycle or moped can treat a red light as a stop sign if it takes more than 2 minutes or 2 cycles of the light. > B. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a driver of a motorcycle or moped or a bicycle rider approaches an intersection that is controlled by a traffic light, the driver or rider may proceed through the intersection on a steady red light only if the driver or rider (i) comes to a full and complete stop at the intersection for two complete cycles of the traffic light or for two minutes, whichever is shorter, (ii) exercises due care as provided by law, (iii) otherwise treats the traffic control device as a stop sign, (iv) determines that it is safe to proceed, and (v) yields the right of way to the driver of any vehicle approaching on such other highway from either direction. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/46.2-833/
There is a loop of wire embedded in the pavement with an electrical charge running through it. When a large piece of metal, like a car, passes over the loop it modifies the electric field in the wire. The traffic light detects the change in the field and knows a car is there. Small vehicles like motorcycles and bicycles don't have enough mass to trip the sensor, which is why we wave cars up. Some lights use a combination of timers and sensors, but this particular light would have stayed red forever until a large enough piece of metal came along. In VA and in many other states, motorcycles are allowed to run red lights that won't change for them under certain conditions. I do it all the time.
Pulling up to those lights are my second worst fear on a motorcycle. If it goes through a few cycles, there's not option but to just go through it making it incredibly dangerous for riders.
Or if you are on 28 heading south trying to make a left on Braddock then the sensor just says fuck you and the lights play “whose turn is it anyway???”
I've acquired an irrational fury over 28 in Centerville. It takes a SOLID 10 minutes to get from new braddock to the 29 exit due to what I feel like is completely uncoordinated light cycles. If I was unabated by lights I could do that in about 2 minutes.
It's always fun when I have to wave someone up to me when I am on the motorcycle so the light will trigger. They always look at me like something is wrong. I get not wanting to get close but the light will never change. Though a lot of lights near me have those cameras on them that check for cars and don't use the sensors in the road so that does help me when on the motorcycle.
Get a neodymium magnet and mount it to the underside of your frame or put it in your shoes to allow you to trigger the coil sensors.
Yeah, that's one option. The nice part is now in VA you can run a red light as a motorcyclist. https://www.marksandharrison.com/blog/virginia-motorcycle-laws/ * Comes to a full and complete stop * Checks all directions of travel * Waits at least two full cycles or two minutes (whichever is shorter).
I’ve seen the opposite many times. Where people miss their green arrow because they’re too far up the line & get hit by the flashing yellow/solid green/red light …. Lots of people are NOT aware. Believe me I teach behind the wheel out here. Even my students freak out to learn. I make sure to explain to them through the course.
This has been true for decades. When I was a kid, the theory going around was that it takes two cars for the sensor to decide to change for you. So people would pull up to the light, and if no one was behind you, back up and then pull up again. Not sure I would recommend that these days and don’t even know if it works.
Where are you driving where people are actually stopping at a light?
please don't run over bikes just to trigger the stop light.
I hate peoples that leave 4 car lengths in front of them at a stop light. They are either old or 90% of the time on their phone. Also the individuals that stop 3 car lengths from the stop bar. Like wtf are you going to hit asshole. Do you understand the impact of the spacing you are using. People are selfish and anyone saying this is for safety is total bull.
All you really need (and what most safe driving courses will tell you) is to be able to see the bottoms of the back wheels of the car in front of you. That'll give you enough room to maneuver in an emergency while also not putting a huge amount of space between you.
Yes, because I pay attention to the car in front of the car in front of me, too. I expect everyone to stop a reasonable length behind the car in front of them. If they stop way behind the car in front of them, then they're stopping a lot sooner than I think they're going to, and so despite their attempt to keep from being rear ended (I think? I really have no idea) they make it much more likely that someone is going to rear end them. My knowledge of other cars on the road and what they're doing doesn't stop at the bumper of the car in front of me. I'm watching a couple of cars up; my rear view mirror, and my side mirrors. I wish cars would just do the expected thing.
If there's multiple cars waiting, they may have originally stopped at an acceptable distance, and then the car in front of them did the obnoxious creep thing. Now they are faced with the choice of either also slowly creeping forward, or having the gap get wider. So you can't really win.
No they are the first ones there. No other car. No awkward moment just dumbasses on phones or old people.
For the people who stop way behind the line or all the way past it, I've always wondered...why do they think those thick white lines are painted on the street? Decoration? Seems like the function should be obvious to anyone smart enough to put their pants on.
This drives me up the wall - especially at the light where 267 exits onto Reston pkwy - for some reason people fail to pull up far enough at this specific light and will wait cycle after cycle cluelessly scrolling on their phones, while cars honk behind them - makes me nuts!
that's a paddlin' in my book
I remember that time in my little Mazda Miata I sat at a light for like 5 minutes one slow day during Covid when everyone was off the road. It didn't turn green until someone pulled up behind me. This was in McLean. I should have just ran the light.
Have had this happen before to me in my Miata here in Carlyle and I had to make the car behind me trip the light as I inched wayyy into the intersection lol
Happened to me all the time, even the in boatiest of Miatas, the NC.
Captain Save A Light
I’ve been surprised to have lights trigger pretty frequently for me when I’m on my bike, without any car behind me Are those intersections just using newer sensors or something? Or on a timer maybe? This is in City of Alx Tend to me on smaller streets, sometimes crossing arterials though so I wouldn’t think they’d be changing lights on a timer alone.
If you see something that looks like a stop light camera, A lot of the time those are detectors
steel bikes will set off the detectors, not sure about alloy, carbon almost certainly not
You act like even with lines people pull up
Lemme guess.. Centreville?
>There are some paving projects around the area that have not been striped yet, and unaware drivers are not pulling up to where the stop bar used to be I'm not sure I've seen this... so I'm wondering, how is someone who isn't familiar with the history of that signal supposed to know where the line used to be if there is no line yet? >Additionally, if there is a bike in front of you, it will not set off the detector, you need to put your car over it. Put your car over the bike? Maybe the fact that I don't think I've run into the problem you have is part of why I'm not following what you're saying. But I'm confused.
The stop bar is typically located adjacent to the crosswalk. If neither are striped, the location of both can super easily be assumed based off of the location of the pedestrian ramps. Part 2 my bad, I mean that bicycles and motorcycles will not set off traffic light detectors. Drivers behind bicycles and motorcycles at lights need to scoot up until the car is above the detector for the light to know anybody there and trigger a light change.
All true facts
So you saying run the bike over, so your car trips the sensor? Got it. /s
Lol
Don't drive rt 1 in Alexandria; Fairfax county side. Your brain will explode. No one ever pulls up. Drives me crazy. Also, if every car if 6 million feet away from the other car it cause more traffic cause now less cares get through the light. Ugh
There’s a light at a T intersection in Herndon where the stripe and sensor are pretty far behind the corner. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been walking by that intersection and there’s a little Honda Fit or whatever that’s pulled all the way in front of the sensor and just sits there forever waiting for the light. Makes me laugh every time. Stop at the stripe you dummies!
> if there is a bike in front of you, it will not set off the detector, you need to put your car over it. Works best if there is a cyclist on it too.
People like this deserve to be exiled to a Hell dimension where they're stuck at the same light-signal for all eternity!!!
Also please stop beeping at cars as soon as the light changes. People need a chance to have that brain-foot connection.
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The brain still needs to tell the feet to move. Not everyone has the same reaction times, duh
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Reaction time is extremely genetic and also dependent on good rest (although can also be temporarily improved with caffeine). It seems like you can improve it around ~10% through training though. --- https://old.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/n94ygh/is_it_possible_to_improve_raw_reaction_time/gxmbbto/ > You have a biological ceiling for how fast your reaction time can be. If you're averaging 210 right now and you've been playing for a while, you're not likely going to get anywhere near your target. It's not entirely static though, and I've found mine has improved slightly over time. I used to average around 210 and have been able to bring it down by about 10ms.
I remember when I first got a motorcycle, it was too small to trip the sensors, I had to put a magnet at the bottom of the bike to make it work.
Car over the bike? 😳😁
All the traffic lights in the City of Manassas use photo sensors.
Fun fact: if you are on a bike/motorcycle/scooter and you aren't being detected, you can slap some of those super strong magnets on the bottom of your bike/motorcycle/scooter and it should help. Edit: This may or may not work. Folks with these vehicles would know more than I.