traffic lights out of synch

[Bmblbzzz]

I've around a 250 year stretch between the lights over the canal near Northampton.
....

Even the most patient motorist won't wait that long!

[MikeF]

I've around a 250 year stretch between the lights over the canal near Northampton.
....

Even the most patient motorist won't wait that long!

Indeed. I've seen signs that say "Roadworks - delays expected for n weeks/months", but I've never had to wait that long.

[arnsider]

I bemoaned this in previous threads. A few years ago, the data cablers were trenching long lengths of rural A and B roads in my neck of the woods. One particularly dangerous spot, (a fast bend) had no safe refuge, as the contractor had barricaded off the works.
I got nowhere, having contacted the Police, the Local Authority and even the HSE.

[Pebble]

At its worst, the inter-green period (orange at one end to green at the other) is based on 10 metre per second (22.5 mph) and at its best it is around 16.5 mph. For instance if traffic lights are between 200 & 250 metres it will be set to 10 second ( so closer to 200m would be 18mph and 25m 22.5mph

I think you mean 25 seconds (not 10) for 200-250 metres - 10 seconds would require a cyclist to pedal at up to 25 m/s (56 mph) !

Here's the official standard:

indeed it should have read "10 metres per second" hence where I got the 18 & 22½ mph from!

[Tompsk]

The public highway is for all users, not just motorists. This problem effects pedestrians (where there is no permanent or temporary segregated path), mobility scooter users, horse riders, cyclists etc. Pandering to one user is surely against equal access that the authorities are obliged to cater for, even for temporary works? Perahaps all user groups (including CUK) should approach the relevant highways body together rather than getting fobbed off one by one?

[freiston]

Like the previous poster, I have a couple of permanent light-controlled stretches of road (over narrow rail bridges) near me. If I'm queued at them, I will normally wave ahead any cars behind me when the lights turn green, which means I'll be last over the bridge. I often look behind me at the far end to see if the opposite lights have turned green - they usually have - but so far I haven't had any issues with impatient motorists.

In such situations (especially where you can't see the stop line at the other end), the last place I want to be is at the back of the line of motor traffic, especially with the gap between slow moving me and fast moving them getting larger - and thus any cars waiting at the other end will see the line of traffic clear the road, will see their light turn to green and accelerate towards the other end before even considering me or any other road user coming the other way - and they will likely presume that I, the cyclist, jumped the red light and shouldn't be there - and some will punish me for it with their driving.

If possible, I like to be towards the head of the queue (certainly not at the back), in primary position. That way, any traffic at the other end aren't as likely to presume the road ahead clear and if a car does enter from the other way, they will see that I'm not a solitary cyclist jumping a red light but that a more likely explanation is that the light sequence did not give time for the road to clear. It's also a lot less likely they'll get confrontational with me & several cars than just me.