Green traffic lights for rainy cities

Groningen gives the green light more often to bicycles when it rains!

 A recent news update from Fiets Beraad (Dutch Cycle Federation) gives details of a pilot scheme of rain sensors fitted to traffic lights that gives more time to cross roads for people cycling when it is raining.

The article outlines how the city of Groningen is now fitting new traffic lights with rain sensors following positive evaluation findings from a trial scheme.

The rain sensor trial was undertaken over the last few months at the Oosterbrug intersection and received positive responses. The rain sensor did not lead to significantly longer waiting times for non-cycling travellers, nor did it produce jams or stagnation. No complaints were received from the police or public transport companies.

Unsurprisingly, it was found that fitting the rain sensors to new traffic lights was cheaper than retrofitting existing traffic lights. The costs for subsequently fitting a rain sensor to an operating light are reported to be approximately € 10,000. 

The rain sensors cannot be fitted to traffic lights that are part of a “network traffic control” - traffic lights that are linked together to provide a “green wave” because modifying these traffic lights may disrupt the entire network.

With no such "green wave" system yet operational in Greater Manchester we look forward to seeing such sensors deployed on key GM cycling routes...... maybe, perhaps, one day ?


Update: Maybe sooner than previously thought !

A fascinating (!) report "Traffic Management Techniques for Cyclists" published in 2011 by the Transport Research Laboratory does what it says on the tin and investigates a range of Traffic Management schemes already in use in the UK and others that are deployed in other European countries.  The report states that:
 
"This was a technique discovered in the literature review that the assessment team
highlighted early on as a promising and innovative solution. However, it did not score
particularly well because it is a new method for the UK and therefore would require
changes to local guidance and practices and associated guidance documents.....

...the authors are of the opinion that this technique could offer significant improvements to cyclists and as such further investigation should be carried out. This could be in the form of consultation with European countries that already utilise this technique to improve our understanding and ascertain the conditions that it is employed. Furthermore, the technique could be modelled in simulated trials to ascertain its effectiveness." (10.18 Priority for cyclists during inclement weather (technique ID43)

It will be interesting to see which (if any) UK local authorities are the first to introduce such schemes.