Eco 'countdown' traffic lights

[Moloko]

Nice "simples" idea HERE.
A stop light that tells you how long or short a time it'll be before you're on your merry way.

Singing the "countdown" TV-tune to yourself to coincide with it is totally optional.

[Pancho]

But my prized local knowledge is knowing the light cycles round here. I know precisely when it's worth powering for the last remnant of amber green and when to dwawdle absent mindedly towards a red.

Doing the commute without putting a foot down is one of my small pleasures in life.

[Regulator]

Nice "simples" idea HERE.
A stop light that tells you how long or short a time it'll be before you're on your merry way.

Singing the "countdown" TV-tune to yourself to coincide with it is totally optional.

I've seen similar concepts in the UK and Europe, both for cars and for cyclists.

[clarion]

Terrible idea!  You'd have every car driver revving their engine ready to drop the clutch for a proper 'racing start', and gods help anyone caught in their way.  No no no no no!

[Regulator]

Terrible idea!  You'd have every car driver revving their engine ready to drop the clutch for a proper 'racing start', and gods help anyone caught in their way.  No no no no no!

That's not been my experience of similar set ups in the US and Europe.

But then again, could you imagine such a set up in chavtastic Swinedun?   

[Moloko]

Terrible idea!  You'd have every car driver revving their engine ready to drop the clutch for a proper 'racing start', and gods help anyone caught in their way.  No no no no no!

What?!? Even 68yr-old Granny Goody-Gumdrops? Put the tartan bootee to the floor. Wahey!!!!!

[clarion]

It was her that nearly mowed me down in Balham this morning, so, yes.

[spen666]

It was her that nearly mowed me down in Balham this morning, so, yes.

My disguise fooled you then?

[Moloko]

It was her that nearly mowed me down in Balham this morning, so, yes.

Ooooh, a toyboy.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Which reminds me, it's nearly the solstice so we need to get our sweeties ready to leave our solstice offerings to the traffic light goblins.

[Rig of Jarkness]

Terrible idea!  You'd have every car driver revving their engine ready to drop the clutch for a proper 'racing start', and gods help anyone caught in their way.  No no no no no!

I think they should have speakers on the lights to play the opening notes of The Chain during the countdown.  And perhaps they could paint some extra white lines so that people can position themselves correctly on the grid.   

[Diver300]

They would need two countdown rings round here, one for minutes.

My record is 8 minutes 20 seconds waiting at lights, at about 11 pm, during which time one car from the side road came through.

The lights only turned green when someone behind me went through the red lights on the wrong side of the road.

[Zoidburg]

Terrible idea!  You'd have every car driver revving their engine ready to drop the clutch for a proper 'racing start', and gods help anyone caught in their way.  No no no no no!

My thoughts exactly, it would be like the start line of a rally stage when they show them the the timer

"Beep...beep...beep"

Floor it!

[teethgrinder]

They would need two countdown rings round here, one for minutes.

My record is 8 minutes 20 seconds waiting at lights, at about 11 pm, during which time one car from the side road came through.

The lights only turned green when someone behind me went through the red lights on the wrong side of the road.

Was you cycling or motoring?

[Zoidburg]

They would need two countdown rings round here, one for minutes.

My record is 8 minutes 20 seconds waiting at lights, at about 11 pm, during which time one car from the side road came through.

The lights only turned green when someone behind me went through the red lights on the wrong side of the road.

Was you cycling or motoring?

When I get that I point my bike lights up at the sensor and give the bars a wiggle, then the lights change.

[Pancho]

They would need two countdown rings round here, one for minutes.

My record is 8 minutes 20 seconds waiting at lights, at about 11 pm, during which time one car from the side road came through.

The lights only turned green when someone behind me went through the red lights on the wrong side of the road.

If I had to wait that long with no counter traffic, I'd mentally tag the lights as "out of order" and invoke the relevant bit of the Highway Code and ignore them. I mean, "proceed with care" - perfectly legal to cycle through red. An 8 minute delay would count as not operational, I'm fairly certain.

[Diver300]

I was motoring.

The lights weren't working properly, but you can be sure that the CPS could find a bunch of engineers who would be out of their jobs if they didn't swear that they were in perfect working order if I tried to defend a prosecution. It would be expensive.

I've twice written to the local authority about those lights, but they still stay on red for everyone until the sensors see a car (and I'm fairly sure not a bike) coming. If the sensors miss a car, it has to stop and the sensors can't see it any more.

[Cudzoziemiec]

This is used at lost of signals in India and Sri Lanka, and it works well. It doesn't result in GP starts, but does prompt people to turn off their engines while waiting. Though as fuel is relatively much cheaper in the UK, that benefit may not occur.