Pleasanton, California uses radar to detect the difference between a motor vehicle and a bicycle, adjusting the green phase accordingly. Is this really as “bicycle friendly” as we think it is?
First of all, thank you to the several people who pointed me last week to the numerous stories on Pleasanton’s unique use of microwave technology to determine the difference between cars and trucks and bicycles.
21450. (a) A traffic-actuated signal is an official traffic control signal, as specified in Section 445, that displays one or more of its indications in response to the presence of traffic detected by mechanical, visual, electrical, or other means.
(b) Upon the first placement of a traffic-actuated signal or replacement of the loop detector of a traffic-actuated signal, the traffic-actuated signal shall, to the extent feasible and in conformance with professional traffic engineering practice, be installed and maintained so as to detect lawful bicycle or motorcycle traffic on the roadway.
(c) Cities, counties, and cities and counties shall not be required to comply with the provisions contained in subdivision (b) until the Department of Transportation, in consultation with these entities, has established uniform standards, specifications, and guidelines for the detection of bicycles and motorcycles by traffic-actuated signals and related signal timing.
(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2018, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2018, deletes or extends that date.
Radar technology to detect vehicles to trigger traffic lights has been in regular use for at least 20 years. As I reported last year, Pleasanton’s innovation is their use of software to identify bicyclists and give us a longer green light so we have time to cross the intersection.
Pleasanton’s efforts are in response to California AB 1581, which mandates that all new traffic signals must detect bicycles and motorcycles. A Caltrans committee established the technical standards defining what constitutes compliance with AB 1581, and the California Association of Bicycle Organizations pushed through minimum crossing times for cyclists into this requirement. What good is detecting cyclists, after all, if we don’t have time to cross the intersection? All new traffic signals in California must, by law give enough time for bicyclists to cross an intersection.
Several cities in traffic-congested Southern California strongly oppose the bike detection and timing requirements because adding additional green light time to accommodate cyclists will make traffic even worse than it is now. While a few transportation agencies either ignore CVC 21450.5 or play a passive aggressive game by claiming compliance when, in fact, they don’t have compliant intersections, a couple of cities have openly registered their outright refusal to comply with the law, essentially inviting bike advocates to fight this law out in the courts.
Pleasanton also would like to avoid the longer green phases required by law, so when MS SEDCO demonstrated their bike and pedestrian detecting microwave sensors in the Spring of 2010, Pleasanton jumped at the chance to trial their equipment.
The city can retain their auto-centric traffic engineering, comply with state law and receive national acclaim for their bike friendly traffic signal work!
For details on Pleasanton’s radar detection, see: Microwaves, bikes, and traffic lights.
Trivia: That perennial driving song “Radar Love” was written and performed by a DUTCH band.
See also:
- Traffic signal reference wheel
- Microwaves, bikes, and traffic lights
- Traffic lights and bicycles: The technical explanation
- Caltrans response to questions about bicycle detection
