White Lines on F Avenue

F Avenue at Old Marion Road, looking north where white shows bike-sensitive parts of magnetic traffic detector.

White lines have appeared on F Avenue near Old Marion Road, a good sign for a biker.

The white paint is placed on the street to show where the magnetic traffic sensor has been adjusted in an attempt to “see” the iron in a bike crank.

For this cranky old biker, it’s been working like a charm. I have not been able to photograph these lines, which have been there for a while, because, unlike the corner of F and Collins where there is a long delay between landing in the white zone and the light changing, the light changes quickly at F and Old Marion. I had to stop at a freshly turned red light this morning, so I had (barely) time to take this image, looking north on F from the west side of the road, before the light changed.

Well, I am glad that yet another light can “read” a bike. I am a bit unsure how a biker who doesn’t know the “secret code” would figure out that he or she must stop just so to trigger the light—but then again, I’ve seen cars in the past that don’t seem to be aware of the magnetic sensors and that manage to stop just so to ensure the light will never change.

The ride in and home today were cool. The one home was largely against a chill north breeze against a mostly cloudy fall sky. I used my lights at 5, which I don’t often do.

Still, it was a pleasant ride. If I were not so swamped at work, I might have taken the extra time and added the extra miles to use the Cedar River trail. Someday soon!