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18 in 6.5 miles! one of which is IR activated and does not see me on a bike so I either have to walk across the junction, RLJ or wait for a car to drive up behind me to activate the lights. At 6am I could be waiting a while.
Just idly pondering about this. A part of the reason for the electric bike is the number of traffic lights I have to pass most of which are uphill starts. Interestingly my time is pretty much the same every day even tho waiting a full cycle at each one would be 1/2 an hour spent stationary - presumably with so many sets probability means I get a similar amount of reds every day even if not the same ones
so anyone else get more than a set of traffic lights every 600 yards?
Same distance, one traffic light. Of course it's a country lane commute but I still have to leave the city so I'm quite surprised there's only one.
I've 14 in 13 miles (although 4 of those miles are on the canal tow path). If I rode through town then there'd be another 13 or 14. They aren't evenly spread of course - there's four sets in half a mile going through the village then another four in the next village but then nothing for three miles.
2 sets on the 19 mile commute.
I could even go a shorter way of 17 miles and change that to 1.
10-12 in under mile.
One every 150 yards mike? that would drive me scatty!
Mine was 9 in 2 miles. Would've been 11 if I didn't hop on the shared pavement for the last bit. None now.
Yep, thought it's a toss up between riding and walking most days.
4 in 8 miles. Suburban Leeds.
Erm actual junctions/crossroads there are 22 in 25 miles. I haven't included pedestrian crossings of which there are MANY or traffic light controlled roundabouts
North London to Tower Hill was 23 sets plus 4 zebras in just under 6 miles.
Now got 14 and 1 zebra in 2 miles, Waterloo Stn to Tower Hill.
6 in 2km
Central Notts. Whichever way I go it's 19 in less than 7km, with about half of them being pedestrian crossings. Journey avg speed ranges from 23 - 37kph depending on how [s]reckless[/s] lucky I am
Just counted, about 37 in the 13 miles from Twickenham to Tower Hill.
Embankment cycleway has cut loads out though, which is nice.
(not including pedestrian crossings)
21 in 7.5 km in Manchester. Didn't think it was that bad till I counted them all up!
my 6 in 2km above excludes an additional 2 pedestrian crossings
14 lights in ~4.5 miles often makes a mockery of my commute (and Strava segment) times going in, I swear Southampton has a higher density of traffic lights than Liverpool had in the 80s! My best time is ~16.5 mins, when I had an amazing run through green lights.
I keep thinking I should try to commute in on the reverse of my home route to compare times, which I think has 7 traffic lights over ~4.2 miles (best time just under 20mins).
However, this also involves the railway crossing lottery (albeit I can carry the bike over the bridge) and means going up Rockstone Place hill.
None in 35 km 🙂
I commute from North London to Central London... there are lots!
I try to take route that avoid the rubbish ones, or the unpleasant bits of road (which often include bad lights), I could easily do more if I really wanted
2 in 19 miles, within couple hundred metres of each other. Its mostly motorway though.
The biggest holdups are the roundabout leaving where I live, and the off-ramp for the junction where my office is. THe second is caused by the first set of lights backing up on to the first lane of the motorway. there are bumps, and more serious incidents there all the time. The second set are just after the first set.
I was really meaning cycle commute - I guess you are in a car canopy! Or is it a derestricted e bike on the motorway? 😉
64 not including pelican crossings
that was Tooting to Clerkenwell green (about 7.5miles)
it’s why i never ever jumped a red, jump one and you have to jump them all to make any difference.
I'm lucky to have none in my 13 mile commute. It is mostly country lanes though. This didn't stop me getting caught in a traffic jam for 10 minutes last night when I got caught up in a queue of 5 cars trying to pass oncoming cars on a single lane road with not many passing places. Frustrating.
8 in 2.7km one side then 7 in 5.3km the other side. I tend to hit reds in Loughborough then mainly greens in Derby.
I was really meaning cycle commute - I guess you are in a car canopy! Or is it a derestricted e bike on the motorway?
😆
I've done it by bike before, totally different route. errm. 3 sets of lights in 20 miles. quite a lot of it is a canal foot path. 🙂
13 in 6 miles, if I choose to go on the road. I rarely do.
64 in seven and a half miles! Ladies and gentlemen - we have a winner! One every 200 yards!
I am beginning to feel maybe mine isn't so bad.
i have moved since then and haven’t really commuted, bit further away now so it’s likely to be 5-10 more. but anyone who commutes from further out (merton/colliers wood etc) would easily add another 20 to that.
I don't think I could commute that - it would do my head in!
My old route used to have lights, roundabouts, multiple junctions, cycle paths that went on road, up to pavement and back again.. I gave up on it and took the more dangerous, longer route (which, incidently passed my current workplace). I have 1 set of lights in 8 miles now and I RLJ it nearly every day, cuz it's a bus lane 🙂
6 in 2.5 miles.
Although they're doing roadworks at the moment and putting in more but taking out others so could be more, could be less.
The alternative (off road) is only 1 but involves crossing busy roads so relies on the traffic lights being in sync to leave gaps in the traffic.
7 on my 15 mile commute,usually by car not counting pedestrian crossings.In fact AFAIK there is only one set of traffic lights in our town of 10,000 people and that's up a residential side road over a single track railway bridge.
I don't think I could commute that - it would do my head in!
it would if you were an aggressive interval cyclist.
i rode fixed and the aim was to not unclip, so you remove yourself from the ‘rat race’ and let the nodders overtake between the stops but trundle past at the lights because they got there too quick in the desire for balls out stop-start interval training.
i found it quite refreshing and the practice meant seated track stands and quick starts up to cruising speed were easy.
it’s only an problem if you play their game.
None in 7 miles, then 5 in about half a mile. Timed badly as well so you are almost guaranteed to hit each set on a red.
It depends.. usual route is none in 6 miles. 8)
I'm having to navigate 4 sets of traffic lights, within 2 and half miles. And 2 busy junctions without. Some mornings like others have said its pedal like hell, due to rain/it's cold, and hit every light, or time it, so I don't have to dab. I wish someone would fix the timing of the pelican crossing by Toxteth libary (Should be in our favour, not the tin boxes).
Could someone also fix the lights on my other route home, at the junction of Princes and Sefton Park. Also in the favour of tin box sensors. Not as busy going home this way.
I have the choice between a 10 mile road commute with 0 traffic lights or a 9 mile off road commute (tpt) with 0 traffic lights. I do work near Barnsley though so its not all good :-).
Who's got the least without going off road?
3 in 4.6 miles here (though route choice inc bike-path).
9 in 1.9 miles. Harrogate train station to Harlow Carr garden centre (well, the business park next to it...)
Just counted - 55 in 16 miles. Many ped crossings, a few nasty junctions and the cluster **** that is CS3 turn from tower bridge to tower gateway. Easily the most dangerous part of my journey is CS3 and thats including the A21 and A2/A20. Whoever thought that design would work needs a kicking
@cynic-al: the only way I can get to zero lights is to begin by heading in the opposite direction I would normally go and then pick up the canal much earlier. A bit awkward at this time of year as it's very muddy and off-camber for the first few Km 🙁
It might be possible to take a very hilly route that avoids lights but there are sections I've not ridden and it would probably turn a 50min commute into a 2hr one.
Not only does Stafford stick up a traffic light at every unnecessary opportunity, they seem to have bought up the world's stock of Cyclist Dismount and End of Cycle Route signs and scatter them randomly.
I've never understood what the end of a cycle route is. Except, perhaps, a pub.
Yes - CS3 near Tower Gateway/Tower Bridge is very interesting
Londoners will win this hands down due to sheer street density over such a large area.
A 10 mile commute is epic in London.
My previous commute was one in 3 miles - all along the north edinburgh cycleway which is an old railway line bar the last bit into the workplace which has a traffic light junction to get into the site.
9 in the first 2 miles, then 20 miles and I get another 3.
Going home it's 3, then 20 miles before I hit 13 in the last 2 miles.
This is rural Herefordshire.
About 130 in 26 miles IIRC, including pelicans.
(Counted them a year or two ago).
Dorking to Central London (Farringdon).
Not as bad as it sounds, somehow.
None in two miles for me (not an off road commute)
[i]Who's got the least without going off road?[/i]
There are some ped crossings on mine, that never go red - apart from that I have a bus lane filter light - I go with whichever is green, or a bus lane, where there's hardly ever a bus, so I ignore it. So that's 8 miles with 0.
38 sets on 1 roundabout count?
(Canford bottom roundabout on the a31 outside Wimborne)
Only if you have to go thru them all. I dunno - what are the rules?
39 in 7.5 miles, South Manc. Cripes, will recount when over the man flu... Think I've missed a couple out... Have 5 before I leave Cheadle now.
My regular commute options: 1 in 3.6 miles if I want to inhale exhaust fumes, 1 in 4.1 miles with a bit of cheeky cut-through to avoid 1-way system is my usual, or 0 in 5 miles with off-road when conditions not too soggy. My usual commute if I were to take a car would require two traffic lights, one of which to take the RH turn would take 2 red/green cycles at rush hour.
I distinctly remember thinking 2 traffic lights were too many traffic lights. Might have to re-evaluate that.
Ooh, I might have chance for the least? 1 set in 25 miles daily commute for me... Surrey/Sussex b roads mostly - its a good route!
My current commute, from Crawley to Biggin Hill (by car, I'm ashamed to say) has a grand total of 5 traffic lights in 30 miles - and 2 of those can be discounted as they are immediately after another, and are always on green.
From a bike point of view, I used to cycle home at night, after playing snooker in the North of Coventry, to the South. The first 2 miles was an endless succession of lights, and I would always get stopped about 4 or 5 times - until I finally worked out the timing. I would get on my bike, outside the snooker hall, and wait for the third light in the distance to go green, before setting off. Pedalling like an absolute looney meant that I could get all of the lights on green - but it was very tight timing and very knackering.
The first time I managed it, I was very chuffed. (I was a LOT younger, then, so would probably struggle nowadays)
73 in 18 miles for me- straight down the A6 into central Manchester
I think I might take this one for my former commute.
Banstead in Surrey to Great ORmond Street.
One evening I couldn't sleep I counted them in my head. (I know the journey that well) 250 sets on a round trip of about 32 miles.
18 in 8 miles (across nottingham city centre).
none. just sheep and an army rifle range.
2 in 10 miles or none in 11.5 if i take a different route, all on road.
I remember someone telling me Portswood Road in Southampton was the stretch of road in the UK that had the highest density per mile of separate traffic lights (I.e. number of different stop lines) in the UK.
For those that know it I mean the strip from Sainsbury's/The Mitre/Pickled Newt through to Waitrose (used to be Safeway). It's probably only 400m along there.
Thankfully not on my commute unless something has gone properly wrong.
My old commute was 36 sets of lights and crossings in 12.5 miles, and had them all go red one morning.
0 in 10 miles if I go the on the old road, 1 in 10 miles if I take the coastal road and 0 if I take the tarka trail. I don't know how I cope.
I'm a bit late to this party but I'm gonna weigh in with 119 lights in an 18 mile/28km commute.
Well, there's probably a few more now as it's a couple of years since I counted them all - here's the [url= http://www.pinkbike.com/video/465040/ ]Winter Commute[/url] video
I make that roughly one set of lights every 235 metres. I cant be bothered to work it out in imperial.
Ive got 1 set of traffic lights and 3 crossings in 30km
14 miles going, 1 regular lights, 3 temporary for roadworks. Coming home, 15 miles, 0 lights. Blaenau Gwent/Monmouthshire area.
Just had a quick look at that winter commute video, not sure I could cope with a busy commute with loads of lights and traffic.
I used to have 36 sets (including pedestrian crossings) within 9 miles; this was in Notts.
Because of the phasing, whereby if you hit red then you'd hit red on every subsequent set, or if you hit green you'd always get greens, it could take anywhere between 20 mins and 1hr 15mins.
I was told by someone who worked in the county council that the phasing was set intending to create congestion, which was used for the justification to re-introduce trams to the city. No idea what the truth to this is but it doesn't surprise me from a council who allows a Tesco Extra to be built every 2 miles, & in doing so allows the traffic lights to give priority to Tesco traffic rather than the bulk of traffic on a major trunk road.
Do you count pedestrian crossings? 14 in 3.3 miles if you do. 8 in same if not plus a good sized roundabout.
Edit: not actually true anymore as i moved about 18months ago and now have 8 plus crossings in 8.5 miles
None on mine but there are six gates. One is always on red but the other five can sometimes be on green, that is a section of fence is pulled back. It's entirely in the hooves of the sheep.
Central Notts, 16 in 2 miles.
Still faster to cycle than walk/take the bus though.
36 between Colliers Wood and Leatherhead, about 12 miles.
Certainly not as bad as a lot of others, but it's nice when I run instead and barely have to stop at all.
Cheers, Rich
houndlegs - MemberJust had a quick look at that winter commute video, not sure I could cope with a busy commute with loads of lights and traffic.
You get used to it but it’s not for the faint-hearted.
dangeourbrain - MemberDo you count pedestrian crossings?
As far as I am concerned if they are light controlled and you are likely to get prosecuted or at least tutted at if you go through a red then it’s a traffic light in my book.
I have a similar commute to @AlanSD1980 up there (although I always forget which year he was born!) and we would often meet on the road and chat.
I’ve also met some lifelong cycling buddies on that commute too over the 11 years that I have ploughing that furrow. I’m sure my bikes (multiple) could navigate themselves without any input from me.
I dunno how many but I have worked hard to avoid as many as possible, however "the man" keeps putting more in. Grr.
I'm sure mine won't be the worst ratio as I have a bit of rural riding and it's not that urban apart from the last couple of miles.
only 1 in one mile, I do however have Britain's worst level crossing. Can be stuck for 15 minutes on a 1 mile commute. 🙄
[url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/9081659/Britains-worst-level-crossing-mocks-motorists-misfortune-on-spoof-Twitter-account.html ]West Worthing crossing[/url]
I'm pretty sure the poxy crossing at starbeck is just as bad timewise - my personal record is 18minutes for one drop of the barriers, though there were trains in that time.
One evening back when i lived in starbeck and needed to take the van home it took me 53 minutes to drive the 2.4 mile commute from Hornbeam park just because of "normal" traffic and lights/level crossings.
On our route home from the pub there is a light controlled crossing that allows both pedestrians and cyclists to cross. I like to imagine I'm not committing an offence by continuing on the road when the crossing is empty but there's a red light.