@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)

Who’s got the least without going off road?

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. [video]www.youtube.com/watch?v=99OpfGzcv5o[/video] 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 Winter Commute 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 – Member

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.

You get used to it but it’s not for the faint-hearted.

dangeourbrain – Member

Do 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. 🙄

West Worthing crossing

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.