We have lots of smooth infrastructure that I never noticed until various foreign experts on the internet expressed how wonderful it is.

There is an actual traffic light design I really like. It has a circle of small white leds that switch off one by one as a count down to green

https://www.maxvandaag.nl/sessies/themas/reizen-verkeer/hoe-...

These are absolutely wonderful on busy roads with tons of (car) traffic. Before they had the count down one would just stand there waiting for what seems forever. It can go green any moment, you have to pay attention. The entire state of mind is different. You can just zone out. I even pull out my phone knowing I have time to answer a message or look up at what time a store closes.

I just learn I've only seen the highly predictable ones, apparently in other locations they also have heat sensors to detect how many cyclists are standing there. It may speed up if there are enough. If 1% of the cyclists know what is really going on it would be a lot. Until now I was just happy it turns green when I'm the only traffic for as far as the eye can see.

Oh wow, I never even consciously realised the zoning-out benefit - I already just appreciated them for being able to take off more quickly.

Yeah these ‘predictors’ only make sense if they can give a countdown at a constant rate. The idea is nice but often they countdown at say 1dot/sonly to have the last 5 dots disappear in the last second so they miss their purpose. on the other hand, a consequence on predictable ones is that people will start cycling on the last 2 dots or so instead of waiting for the green light.