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tesla3by3 t1_iyal8gi wrote

It’s a lot easier to coordinate lights either by timing or based on demand when you have a major artery with the cross streets being much lower volume. You can set the main road for a very long green, or only turn the cross streets green when it detects a vehicle. That wouldn’t do much in E Lib with major cross streets like Negley, Euclid, Highland, and Center. Plus pedestrians.

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Top_File_8547 t1_iye8nnu wrote

This isn’t quite what the op is talking about but in Forest Hills some intersections have smart lights with sensors so that side streets only go green when there is a vehicle.

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tesla3by3 t1_iyebfhg wrote

Lots of streets in Pittsburgh have them as well. I was referring to the cross streets in E Lib, all of which are heavily used, so a sensor wouldn't do much good, as there would almost always be cross traffic waiting.
Another commenter said that the cross streets further out Penn have the sensors.

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jumprcablips t1_iyc3sck wrote

Ok cool those few intersections I get that but the other few thousand turn yellow as I’m approaching with no cars waiting in the other direction. It’s fuct and I hate it and technology could fix it but we’ve wasted to much money on bike lanes no one uses because they will get run over because of traffic that could be avoided because well you know the cycle. This man is right and you are not sorry friend

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w0jty t1_iycx3vj wrote

Cost of upgrading a non actuated light (timed only) to mag loop or camera actuated is usually 50-100k per intersection.

Cost of adding bike lane painting is 5-15k per mile.

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Gnarlsaurus_Sketch t1_iyd9cv0 wrote

I’m mostly pro bike lane for the record, but don’t they have to be repainted every couple years or so like the rest of the roads, negating much of the cost advantage?

IMO we would see more benefits by upgrading intersections before adding bike lanes in areas. This would make the bike lanes faster, safer, and also improve access for cars and pedestrians.

This would probably also cut down on people bitching about “useless” bike lanes that appear as such because they are incomplete and non-contiguous.

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w0jty t1_iydk630 wrote

Oh there are definitely ongoing, nuanced costs to both.

DOMI has done a decent job timing bike lane painting with resurfacing, so the paint crew is already there and the cost drops. On the flip side, complete street intersection upgrades (bike boxes, the retro reflective polymer tape that lasts longer than paint, etc) can balloon intersection upgrade costs closer to 500k, but definitely provide the improvements you called out.

My point to the “BiKe LaNeS CoSt MoNeY” comment was the highlight that it’s a balancing act, and simply saying bike lanes are why we don’t have good traffic lights is just wildly out of touch with how these things work. And that doesnt even factor in traffic analysis, neighborhood complaints, federal grant funding streams, politics, yadda yadda.

So a more nuanced response like yours is welcomed. Cheers!

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Shandlar t1_iycy66z wrote

The entire stretch on Penn from the tracks coming out of Wilkinsburg all the way until 5th avenue are trip lights. 100% of them are green to Penn Avenue traffic 100% of the time, until a car trips the light from a side street. They are not timed at all.

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AO9000 t1_iydsv88 wrote

We've wasted so much money on plowing streets when we could be updating traffic lights /s

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strathmeyer t1_iycrnbh wrote

The lights stay green into and out of town until a car approaches from another direction.

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jumprcablips t1_iycytdf wrote

Which town? Pittsburgh? Out 51 they do? Na how about towards the rocks? Nope. Strip district? Liberty ave? You’re joking right? That’s a joke ha funny. Most likely when you are at a red light and it finally turns green the next light up a block away turns yellow. That is Pittsburgh. That’s what this post is saying and it is absolutely 100% correct

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jumprcablips t1_iyczlpx wrote

Oh geez I found the 7 people that ride bikes in Pittsburgh. Relax I wasn’t saying anything bad about bicycles, I know you can’t do that here people will destroy you. I’m saying our city planners suck at everything from public transportation to timing of light and placement of things like bike lanes.

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