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Cyclists get the green

Todd, another Franklin resident, wrote to tell us that he was curious about some roadway signs he's been noticing at intersections in Needham, where he works, and elsewhere in Greater Boston. The signs instruct bicyclists to stop at a certain spot to trigger a green light.

"What I gather," he wrote, "is that there are sensors embedded in the roadway . . . where a bicycle would stop that would change the light to green if you are waiting. Is that true?"

Good guess. Needham has indeed been installing this technology at several intersections, according to town engineer Anthony Del Gaizo. The sensors register the presence of bikes, which are too light to trip the similar, larger sensors in place for cars, and the light will turn green.

"The reason for the sign is to tell the bicycle where to stop," Del Gaizo said.

Del Gaizo said Needham is installing the bicycle sensors as part of an overall effort to help accommodate bike traffic. The town already has the computer in place to register the traffic information, and he estimates that the cost of installing the sensors themselves is quite low maybe $200 or so. They are placed in a shallow cavity in the road, wired to the appropriate conduits, and sealed.

The bike sensors are meant as a convenience so cyclists don't have to dismount, Del Gaizo said. For safety, during peak hours, the town still recommends that cyclists use pedestrian signals at busy intersections.

Todd, for one, hopes that the wording of the signs doesn't confuse bike riders into thinking they have to stop when traffic is otherwise moving. "I certainly hope that no cyclist stops on the line on a green light," he wrote, "just for a green light."
 

Starts & Stops/West, a transportation column tailored to the western suburbs, runs every other Sunday. Feedback and questions on transportation topics from road to rail, planes to pedestrians, are welcome.

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