[SDCBC] Signals, Fwd: [CABO] Report on April 2 AB 1581 Subcommittee meeting

[Jim Baross, Jr.]

Someone asked... here's the latest.

When this was presented to CBAC on Thursday we asked and they 
apparently changed the default/standard/design bike wheel rim size 
from 20" to 16". I noted that many adult folding bikes use 16" wheels.

>To: caboforum at topica.com, cbc at topica.com
>From: Bob Shanteau <RMShant at gmail.com>
>Subject: [CABO] Report on April 2 AB 1581 Subcommittee meeting
>Date: Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:29:21 -0700
>
>The AB 1581 Subcommittee held its second meeting on April 2. Recall 
>that AB 1581 
><http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/asm/ab_1551-1600/ab_1581_bill_20071008_chaptered.pdf> 
>requires that new and modified traffic actuated signals in 
>California be able to detect bicycles and motorcycles, but only 
>after Caltrans adopts guidelines for detection and signal timing. 
>The AB 1581 Subcommittee will be presenting its recommendations to 
>the California Traffic Control Devices Committee 
><http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/signtech/newtech/> to consider at 
>its next meeting on May 29, 2008, in the CSAA building in San 
>Francisco. The CTCDC in turn will recommend changes in the 
>California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices 
><http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/signtech/mutcdsupp/ca_mutcd.htm>, 
>which is administered by Caltrans. So actual changes are still many 
>months and many meetings away. But the AB 1581 Subcommittee pretty 
>much finished its work at the April 2 meeting.
>
>Attending the meeting in person were Ahmad Rastegarpour 
><mailto:ahmad_rastegarpour at dot.ca.gov>, Kai Leung 
><mailto:kai_leung at dot.ca.gov>, Richard Haggstrom 
><mailto:richard.haggstrom at dot.ca.gov>, and David Priebe 
><mailto:David_Priebe at dot.ca.gov> from Caltrans, James Lombardo 
><mailto:lombardo_1317 at msn.com> from ABATE <http://www.abate.org/> 
>(motorcycle advocacy), Damon Curtis <mailto:damon.curtis at sfmta.com> 
>from San Francisco, and me. David Roseman 
><mailto:DAVID_ROSEMAN at longbeach.gov> from Long Beach and Sean Skehan 
><mailto:Sean.Skehan at lacity.org> from the City of Los Angeles 
>attended by telephone.
>
>The meeting was very productive and we agreed on the following 
>recommendations:
>
>1. Bicycle/motorcycle detection will be performance-based. At least 
>95% of bicycles and motorcycles that stop within the detection zone 
>(defined below) shall be detected.
>
>2. The default detection zone shall be a 6'x6' box at the the stop 
>line centered within the lane, except that if the lane is wider than 
>12' wide, the edge of the box shall be 3' from the lane line. If the 
>detection system is capable of detecting bicycles and motorcycles 
>anywhere within the default detection zone, then no marking is necessary.
>
>3. A detection system that is capable of detecting the reference 
>bicycle/motorcycle plus rider in a detection zone at least 3' wide 
>but less than 6' wide shall be allowed, but only if a Bicycle 
>Detector Symbol is placed at the center of the narrower detection zone.
>
>4. The reference bicycle/motorcycle and rider shall consist of a 
>folding bicycle with non-ferromagnetic frame and 16" wheels with 
>aluminum rims and stainless steel spokes, such as the Dahon Curve 
>SL, plus a person 4' tall weighing 90 pounds standing over the bicycle.
>
>5. To be allowed for use at actuated traffic signals in California, 
>a detection system needs to be certified by its manufacturer that it 
>meets the performance requirements of detecting the reference 
>bicycle/motorcycle and rider stopped in either the default detection 
>zone or the narrower detection zone at least 95% of the time under 
>actual operating conditions.
>
>6. For the purposes of setting up the detection at a new or modified 
>signal, a signal technician may choose to use an equivalent 
>rim/rider consisting of a 20" BMX aluminum rim mounted in a wooden 
>frame and set vertically 1.5" above the pavement plus a plywood 
>cutout representing a person 4' tall weighing 90 pounds standing over the rim.
>
>7. Caltrans will approach manufacturers of carbon fiber rims to 
>request that they either include a shorted coil of wire in the rim 
>during the manufacturing process or else attach a sticker notifying 
>the user that the rim will not trip inductive loops at traffic 
>actuated signals.
>
>8. The minimum green time at traffic actuated signals shall be long 
>enough such that, when combined with the yellow and all-red times, 
>most bicyclists starting from a stop at the beginning of green will 
>have enough time to substantially clear the intersection.
>
>9. The Subcommittee decided not to address the all-red time as a 
>separate issue. Their reasoning was that CVC Section 21451 already 
>requires that drivers facing a green signal "shall yield the 
>right-of-way to other traffic and to pedestrians lawfully within the 
>intersection or an adjacent crosswalk." Thus bicyclists who enter an 
>intersection toward the end of yellow (which is legal in California) 
>may not have enough time to substantially clear the intersection 
>before conflicting traffic receives a green signal.
>
>I presented these recommendations to the California Bicycle Advisory 
>Committee the following day. CBAC made some helpful suggestions, one 
>of which resulted in a refinement of the reference 
>bicycle/motorcycle definition. CBAC also decided to address the 
>issue of the many traffic actuated signals that are not addressed by 
>AB 1581 by recommending to the CTCDC that there be a 10 year 
>compliance period for all signals in California to meet the 
>recommended bicycle/motorcycle detection guidelines.
>
>Bob Shanteau
>
>Robert M Shanteau, PhD, PE
>Consulting Traffic Engineer
>13 Primrose Cir
>Seaside, CA 93955-4133
>Voice: (831) 394-9420
>Cell: (831) 917-0248
>FAX: (831) 394-6045