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[Closed] Who has the most traffic lights on their commute ( per mile?)

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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?


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 9:26 am
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 9:30 am
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 9:31 am
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2 sets on the 19 mile commute.

I could even go a shorter way of 17 miles and change that to 1.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 9:31 am
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10-12 in under mile.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 9:37 am
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One every 150 yards mike? that would drive me scatty!


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 9:38 am
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 9:42 am
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Yep, thought it's a toss up between riding and walking most days.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 9:46 am
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4 in 8 miles. Suburban Leeds.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 9:56 am
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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


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 9:57 am
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 10:09 am
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6 in 2km


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 10:18 am
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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


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 10:29 am
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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)


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 10:31 am
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21 in 7.5 km in Manchester. Didn't think it was that bad till I counted them all up!


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 10:32 am
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my 6 in 2km above excludes an additional 2 pedestrian crossings


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 10:35 am
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 10:46 am
 qtip
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None in 35 km 🙂


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 10:49 am
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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


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 10:55 am
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 10:57 am
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I was really meaning cycle commute - I guess you are in a car canopy! Or is it a derestricted e bike on the motorway? 😉


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 11:00 am
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 11:04 am
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 11:06 am
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 11:11 am
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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. 🙂


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 11:15 am
 ton
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13 in 6 miles, if I choose to go on the road. I rarely do.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 11:17 am
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 11:20 am
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 12:02 pm
 DezB
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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 🙂


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 12:06 pm
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 12:09 pm
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 12:15 pm
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 12:46 pm
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 12:52 pm
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It depends.. usual route is none in 6 miles. 8)


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 1:31 pm
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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).


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 1:37 pm
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 1:45 pm
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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 :-).


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 1:53 pm
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Who's got the least without going off road?

3 in 4.6 miles here (though route choice inc bike-path).


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 1:59 pm
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9 in 1.9 miles. Harrogate train station to Harlow Carr garden centre (well, the business park next to it...)


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 2:07 pm
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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


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 2:08 pm
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@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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 2:08 pm
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 2:13 pm
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Yes - CS3 near Tower Gateway/Tower Bridge is very interesting


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 2:20 pm
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Londoners will win this hands down due to sheer street density over such a large area.

A 10 mile commute is epic in London.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 2:24 pm
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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.


 
Posted : 31/01/2017 2:28 pm
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