Temporary Traffic Lights and Cyclists

[[XAP]Bob]

At which point you have oncoming traffic accelerating at you, assuming that the road is clear.

You are in exactly the same position as if you had queue jumped to the front of the previous queue.

There is no need to wait for those who arrived after you, merely respect that those who arrived before you, should by any standards of decent behaviour, not be pushed in-front of just to delay them.

We could invent an acronym for it, how about MGIF.

Not quite - you are now in a position where there is traffic that is likely to get more respect also coming up the hill...
So you are far less likely to encounter the 'Just proceed blindly' the other way.

If I can I will usually weave into roadworks as I pass them - I don't if they are short, but it's nice to ride along the 'not being worked on, but coned off for convenience' sections...

[meic]

Not quite - you are now in a position where there is traffic that is likely to get more respect also coming up the hill...
So you are far less likely to encounter the 'Just proceed blindly' the other way.

If you think that, then you must have misunderstood what I was saying.

[julianm]

Due to my significant frontal area I tend to get picked up by the sensors on most of these. If you`re not accompanied by vehicles & want the things to change, wave your hand towards the sensor on the units (sort of slow one handed clap) & you`ll probably see a little LED light up & know you`ve triggered it. You`ll then need to wait for the timer & set off on green.
There used to be one of these on a single file bridge over the Derwent & I confess I did use it a few times. It gave you more time to get to the other side.

[BakfietsUK]

I don't know what this says about advanced stop boxes at permanent traffic lights, but if you apply the same logic then the cyclist is entitled to go to the front. Oh and drivers never ever draw up beside me and half overtake when I am queueing, they never try and barge past when I am in front, never. They never ever overtake when there is a traffic queue 10m in front and stop so as to make me brake. I would reckon that all TTL's should cater specifically for cyclists and have an advanced stop area, then there would be no argument. perhaps.

[Tangled Metal]

Not quite - you are now in a position where there is traffic that is likely to get more respect also coming up the hill...
So you are far less likely to encounter the 'Just proceed blindly' the other way.

If you think that, then you must have misunderstood what I was saying.

I must be misunderstanding what you're saying. I suspect you misunderstand what I did too so I'll explain.

A slip road from a motorway link road to Heysham was being built. The slip road and bridge over the link road were being built resulting in traffic lights for a long time. Then when they were removed (bridge and link road open) there was still work being done that from time to time needed traffic control and lane closure. These varied in location and length. The company putting up the traffic control in didn't always set it up with enough time resulting in cyclists getting stuck midway facing incoming traffic.

My method of coping with that and keeping safe was to treat the front of the traffic queue at the lights as an advanced stop line. I filtered on the outside of the static line of traffic to this ASL like most other cyclists. The difference was I moved into the middle of the lane to create a line of traffic that oncoming vehicles would not get past. The result cars waited at the other end even if they had green until the line of traffic passed through.

If I could trust motorists to not go as soon as it changes to green but wait until all cyclists had passed through the traffic control then I would obviously wave all faster vehicles through before setting off through the control. BTW I was one of many passing through at that time. The A6 north of Lancaster is a commuter route for cyclists and also on a lot of LEJOG routes ppl take.

So if the timing isn't long enough which creates a safety issue, what options do cyclists have? If my taking primary isn't to your liking MEIC what would you do instead?

[meic]

I have no objection to you taking primary.
It is the overtaking somebody only to then immediately obstruct their passage which I would not do.

[mjr]

I have no objection to you taking primary.
It is the overtaking somebody only to then immediately obstruct their passage which I would not do.

I can't see where TM is obstructing anyone's passage. The motorists behind can still pass along the highway and their speed is limited by the vehicle in front as usual. Cycling is not obstructing the highway and I am disappointed that some cyclists think it is and rebuke other cyclists for this.

[meic]

It has nothing to do with whether you are cycling or not.
It is a straightforward case of anybody overtaking a vehicle which they know would normally be making better progress than them and then holding them up after wards.
It is like the car which overtakes me in my car when I am obeying the speed limit in town and then holds me up on the country road. Or the car that overtakes and then stops to turn right 50 metres later.

Just because I am a cyclist doesnt mean that I have to support poor conduct from cyclists. I dislike this behaviour from motorists and I dislike it from cyclists too.

[[XAP]Bob]

It has nothing to do with whether you are cycling or not.
It is a straightforward case of anybody overtaking a vehicle which they know would normally be making better progress than them and then holding them up after wards.
It is like the car which overtakes me in my car when I am obeying the speed limit in town and then holds me up on the country road. Or the car that overtakes and then stops to turn right 50 metres later.

Just because I am a cyclist doesnt mean that I have to support poor conduct from cyclists. I dislike this behaviour from motorists and I dislike it from cyclists too.

So your objection is to use of ASLs (whether they exist at a junction or not?)

[meic]

Your leap of logic to make that assumption would also mean that I was against traffic lights and any other system of traffic control that allocates priority to different users. Bus lanes, motorways etc..

You can make that leap but I dont.

[[XAP]Bob]

Your leap of logic to make that assumption would also mean that I was against traffic lights and any other system of traffic control that allocates priority to different users. Bus lanes, motorways etc..

You can make that leap but I dont.

Didn't think it was a leap - it was passing road users who are capable of going faster than you on any given stretch of road...

[mjr]

It has nothing to do with whether you are cycling or not.
It is a straightforward case of anybody overtaking a vehicle which they know would normally be making better progress than them and then holding them up after wards.
It is like the car which overtakes me in my car when I am obeying the speed limit in town and then holds me up on the country road. Or the car that overtakes and then stops to turn right 50 metres later.

Just because I am a cyclist doesnt mean that I have to support poor conduct from cyclists. I dislike this behaviour from motorists and I dislike it from cyclists too.

You can dislike it all you like, but it is absolutely not obstruction (an offence with a fine of up to £1000).

Personally, I always overtake cars at temporary traffic lights in order to ensure that at least one is marking my back and making any light-jumping oncoming motorists hesitate. Sometimes that means I overtake the only car ahead of me, or multiple cars that have left no space between each other in the queue (aren't drivers taught any more to stop so they can see the bottom of the wheels of the vehicle in front?) and I see no problem with doing that.

If motorists don't like it, they should provide cycle bypasses of roadworks which are mostly caused by the damage done by motorists' vehicles.

[meic]

Your leap of logic to make that assumption would also mean that I was against traffic lights and any other system of traffic control that allocates priority to different users. Bus lanes, motorways etc..

You can make that leap but I dont.

Didn't think it was a leap - it was passing road users who are capable of going faster than you on any given stretch of road...

In the case of ASLs you are being directed to do it. I have no objection to people following the directions given to them by the road markings. Actually I dont take advantage of this on many occasions where such selfishness would result and just sit it out in my place in the queue. At the same ASL I would take advantage when turning off from the main traffic flow.

[meic]

You can dislike it all you like, but it is absolutely not obstruction (an offence with a fine of up to £1000).

The front car was however right up to the stop line (probably past it) so the cyclist is guilty of RLJing.
If they can do it why not everybody else? until the road is too blocked for on coming traffic to squeeze through?

Morally it isnt as bad when a motorcycle does it, as they tend to be gone quicker than the motorists that they have passed.

If motorists don't like it,

I am not disliking this as a motorist. Just as a cyclist with standards about how they treat motorists..

[danhopgood]

Feel free to shoot me down on this one, for all our benefit.

But;

Temporary Traffic Lights are "Advisory" only.
Traffic lights need an act of Parliament to install and have legal standing.
You cannot be charged with the offence of "non compliance" .. but if you cause or are involved in an accident for ignoring temporary traffic lights you may be subject to other charges .

Or words to that effect .... I believe....Having taken advice from my friendly Whig.

OK I'll do some shooting down. The 1994 Traffic Signs Regulations apply equally to temporary as well as permanent traffic signals. The law says you must not pass a red traffic signal, temporary or permanent. It also says you must also only proceed on a green light when it's safe to do so. On that basis those not giving way when they've got green and you've done your best to get through in good time would be in the wrong if there was a "coming together".