[SDCBC] Traffic Signals? Re: Bay Shore Bike Route signal fixed.

[Jim Baross]

>On Wed, 7/16/08, Robert Leone <rob_leone at earthlink.net> asked:
- snip -
         So, what's the status of the state rule to adjust induction coils to
register bicycles?
 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Statewide -
The legislature passed and governor signed AB 1581 that (paraphrasing 
here) puts responsibility on Caltrans to come up with operational 
standards for on-demand signals to work/trigger/activate for 
motorcycles and bicycles.... then for new or modified signals to meet 
the standards. We can thank the motorcycling lobby for making this 
happen this time - there had been other attempts.

The process for developing standards and identifying hardware that 
works has been/is complicated - what is to be a "standard bike", size 
of wheel and or bike, composition/make up of the wheel/bike, should a 
detector be able to distinguish a bicycle from other vehicles; etc.

Bicycling advocate, Traffic Engineer Bob Shanteau has been my/our 
most involved person for us and last reported the following response 
to my inquiries. I'll copy him with this message to perhaps hear some update.

<<<<<<
Date: Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:11:58 -0700
To: Jim Baross
Subject: Re: Next meeting of AB 1581 Subcommittee
From: Bob Shanteau

Jim Baross wrote:
>Will the AMA/motor cycling interest folks stand with us? If you want 
>I'll contact them; just tell me who and how.

Bob: I talked earlier today with James Lombardo, lobbyist for ABATE 
(motorcyclists) and member of the Subcommittee. He's with us.

>As I see it as a fundamental issue/position is that 
>on-demand/traffic actuated traffic signals should/shall actuate for 
>any legal traffic; pedestrians, motor vehicles including 
>motorcyclists, and of course bicyclists. It is clearly easier to 
>detect massive/large conveyances and harder to detect other 
>smaller/less massive ones, but it's people in traffic that must be 
>detected or hazards result.

Bob: True, but mass has very little to do with it. Automobiles are 
easy to detect with inductive loops because they act like horizontal 
metal plates and they are easy to detect with magnetometers and 
magnetic detectors because they have large amounts of steel close to 
the ground (or at least most automobiles do). Motorcycles and 
bicycles are hard to detect with inductive loops because they act 
like vertical metal plates and many are hard to detect with 
magnetometers and magnetic detectors because they have no steel close 
to the ground.

>Why are we not hearing about video detection and only about 
>in-pavement devices?

Bob: Because the Subcommittee has agreed on the performance standard 
that vehicle/motorcycle/bicycle detection is to meet (except for the 
whether the frame of the reference bicycle is non-ferromagnetic, that 
is). As long as a reference bicycle-rider who stops in the 6'x6' 
detection zone centered in the lane at the limit line is detected at 
least 95% of the time, the performance standard is met. At this 
point, we are unsure if detection technologies other than inductive 
loops will meet the performance standard, but all we need is one 
feasible detection technology to move forward.

Bob: We are unsure if video detection can meet the performance 
standard under all lighting and environmental conditions. We know (or 
at least I do) that magnetometers and magnetic detectors cannot meet 
the performance standard. In future there may be other technologies 
that will be developed that meet the performance standard. As long as 
we are detected, though, the details of how that happens don't matter

Bob
 >>>>>>>>>>

Jim Baross
San Diego, California
619-280-6908

Chair, SANDAG Bicycle Pedestrian Working Group
Vice Chair, Calif. Bicycle Advisory Committee
President, Calif. Association of Bicycle Organizations
Board Member, Calif. Bicycle Coalition
Spokesperson, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition
League LCI Trainer & Effective Cycling Instructor #185 K-C
Chair, Strategic Highway Safety Plan, #13 - Improve Bicycling Safety

"Cyclists should expect and demand safe accommodation on our public 
roads, just as does every other user.
Nothing more is expected. Nothing less is acceptable."
        Jack R. Taylor

"Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles."
        John Forester

"Same Roads Same Rules Same Rights"
        SDCBC

"Roads are for people, not just for people in cars."
        Jim Baross

"Bicycling is Personal Rapid Transit"
        (Who wrote that?)