BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Not in PA. Idaho, yes. There might be one other state (Missouri?). Search on Idaho in the "Search the forums" box to find threads where this topic has come up in the past.

Actually, there's a caveat to what Stu said. You are allowed to proceed if the light is only activated by a sensor and you are not heavy enough/don't have enough mass to change the inductance http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/safety-regulatory-devices/question234.htm

This happened to me yesterday at Penn turning left at Negley. It didn't pick up that I was there so I did't get a protected left. I just proceeded through on the regular green when the coast was clear.

"WHEN TRAFFIC LIGHTS DON'T TURN

Always stop and wait for red lights. You not only ensure your safety, but also increase respect for cyclists as law-abiding road users.

But some traffic lights don't turn green until they receive a signal from a metal detector buried in the pavement. A bicycle doesn't have enough metal to make many of them work.

Recognize the detector by a square or octagonal pattern of thin lines in the pavement, where slots were cut for the detecting wires. The detector is most sensitive if you ride along one of the wires.

If your bike doesn't trip the detector, you have to wait for a car to do it, or else you have to go through the red light. Going through the red isn't against the law, because the light is defective.

Detectors are made that work for bicycles, at little or no additional cost. Federal design guidelines exist for these detectors. If you put enough pressure on your local and state government, bicyclists can avoid the crashes and the city can avoid the lawsuits which may follow."

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/BIKE/WEB/road_tough.htm

Yeah, if you wait a reasonable amount of time, and the light doesnt activate, then you are to treat the light as "malfuntioning" and proceed with caution. The same is true in a car btw.

And if you do do this, expect to get an earful from the motorist behind you about running a light, even with feet solidly planted for 20+ seconds beforehand. Just sayin'.

If there is a motorist behind you, it's courteous NOT to run the light, as the larger amount of ferromagnetic metal in their car will trip the sensor and switch it to green.

Don't give motorists a bad impression of other cyclists on the road.

(this advice cribbed from "the art of cycling")

Well, I guess I could put the bike on the kickstand, and hop over to push the ped-xing switch. That'd at least make it appear legal.

What I'm saying is you shouldn't have to...if there is a car there, the light WILL turn eventually, unless it's a blinking red. Wait for it just as the motorist is doing.