Inconsistent Green Arrows in Cary? (cars, bike, area)

[K4GPB]

In my low sports car sometimes, I get a green arrow when I am only car in turn lane.
At same intersection, in my higher pickup truck, I often get a yellow arrow when I am only car in turn lane.

Not sure if time of day was same, or if Cary adjusts stuff during rush hours.

Other intersections vary.

Then, I saw this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsZIYj7evaA

And, the other day a person texting was in lead of line and he played with phone (head down) through the entire green arrow cycle.

Another day I saw a high truck first in the lane and all he got was a yellow, with a line of cars behind him.

[tkeru408]

Several turn lane lights in the area are set to run differently at different times of the day (green arrows first sometimes, straight to flashing yellow at other times). I don't think what you experienced had anything to do with what vehicle you were in.

As for the person texting with his head down through the entire green arrow cycle, well that's what your horn is for!

[pierretong1991]

Some intersections have different time of day signal plans depending on what the traffic patterns are at different times of the day programmed into the signal - they're completely unrelated to what vehicle you are in.

There are detector loops in the ground for turn movements and side street movements behind the stop bar (I always see people stopped in front of the stop bar in front of the detector and wondering why the signal doesn't change), and they detect the presence of vehicles in the lane. There is some camera use but I'd say nearly all of the signals in the area are detector loops. If you're riding a motorcycle, try getting in the middle of the loop. If you're riding a bike, it depends how sensitive the detector loops are set - some will sense it if you're in the middle but some may not (I always stop far enough in front if I'm at the front on my bike so a car could come behind me and trip the sensor if need be). For main street thru movements, there are usually smaller sensors about 300-400 feet behind the stop bar that just sense if cars are continuing to travel over the sensor. If it goes a few seconds without getting tripped, it will stop the phase and give the side street and turning movements extra time if there is any on the signal cycle.

[twingles]

Yes if you are at an intersection where there are sensors in the road you have to stop behind the white stop line in the road.

[Dire Wolf]

Pretty much every day I end up to having to run the light at one of those intersections that rely on the sensors, because they don't pick up a bicycle at all.

[DPK]

I always laugh when I see people getting pissed off and they're in front of the white line. Stop where you should have 10 feet ago and it'll actually cycle the signal.