With the number of radar-sensitive traffic lights it's getting more and more difficult to cross a busy road without waiting for several minutes. Case in point is a junction in Kidlington with a pedestrian crossing only on one side.
If there's no traffic, pushing the button turns the lights red instantly. If there's heavy traffic, nothing happens for nearly 4 minutes as the lights run through an entire cycle until they finally let you cross. Usually by this point you've legged it through a gap in the traffic along with everyone else.
If there's moderate traffic, it waits until there's a huge gap in both directions and then turns the light red - again, at which point everyone has crossed anyway. It's driving me nuts. Is it me?!
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I too have noticed them where I live. I tend to avoid them and cross at a different place. The problem is traffic lights are there for safety and if they take too long to change pedistrians will just cross regardless of light colour, I have done this myself in the past.
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I think the old "zebra" crossings were a lot better as a lot of drivers would stop. Now if the lights are green then they won't.
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The trouble with traffic lights is that they are now being used as a congestion-creation measure. So pedestrians are crossing on the red man while vehicles are held up at the previous set of lights. The rules now state that traffic must have stopped at the lights before the green man comes on, the excuse was that it would improve safety to have a queue of stationary vehicles before the pedestrian is allowed to cross. They should no longer get a green man while there is possibility of a vehicle approaching while the person is crossing. In reality, the pedestrian usually gets impatient and crosses on red, and the vehicles are stopped unnecessarily.
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Like most of us here, I am occasionally a pedestrian. As such I avoid the habits of some others in arriving at a crossing, not looking at the traffic and just pushing the button, when there is no need because a gap will appear in 5-10 seconds. With a little forethought neither the traffic nor the crossers need wait.
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The solution then is to make crossing on red and jaywalking illegal (as it is in Germany), set up cameras to catch the guilty, and remove them from the streets after the fourth offence.
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I thought it was technicaly ilegal over here to cross when the man is on red.
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Outside my GP surgery , pipe down there, is a three way light controlled junction.
Pressing the crossing button only gives the green man after a complete cycle. So crossing two roads to get to the chemist can be a s l o w affair. Especially in the wind and rain. I have used my judgement on a number of occasions to cross rather than suffer exposure.
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When I moved to Manchester (from London) in the early 90's I was amazed at how little provision there was for pedestrians to cross - crossing big 4-lane junctions like Princess street with Whitworth St and Portland Street was nerve racking.
Now every big junction has a pedestrian phase which presumably adds to vehicle journey times but certainly make the city far easier to negotiate on foot.
There are also now more and more of the type of dedicated crossing which doesn't have the amber flashing phase. (puffin? toucan?) These seem to be a backward step from everyones perspective - tehey keep pedestrians waiting far too long before allowing them to cross and then they keep bikes and cars stopped long after the pedestrians have finished.
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I thought this was a MOTORING forum. Keep those pesky pedestrians out of my way.
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I don't want to get too OT here but ten years ago the city centre was a very unfriendly place visited only by those who worked in 'town' or drunks.
Now it has changed a lot and is a much more family oriented place, I am in 'town' nearly every other day, it is very easy to cross as a pedistrian although Princess St, Oxford St junction can be a nightmare.
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David, come to Reading and cross the A4 at your leisure just outside the Royal Berks Hospital. There you'll find what are best described as Labour-controlled traffic lights which go red for cars as soon as a footslogger presses the button. And they stay red for ages because someone has forgotten to fit the amber flash which is supposed to operate for pedestrian crossings.
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Usually by this point you've legged it through a gap in the traffic along with everyone else.
Just don't complain if you're knocked down.
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>> Usually by this point you've legged it through a >> gap in the traffic along with everyone else. >> Just don't complain if you're knocked down.
Well, that's pretty much my point. The lights are so useless to pedestrians that it's much quicker and easier to take your chances with the traffic than it is to wait for the lights to change.
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On the Felling bypass in Newcastle there is a set of pedestrian lights (2 car lanes and a bus lane). All three lanes stop at the same point, yet the lights are phased to go green on the bus lane side a good 10 seconds before the car lane.
Cynical old me just thinks this is another petty attempt to force people into buses whether they are a viable solution or not!
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The lights are so useless to pedestrians that it's much quicker and easier to take your chances with the traffic than it is to wait for the lights to change.
Are all your actions governed by what is the quicker and the easier? Don't forget about the "more haste less speed" idiom.
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Are all your actions governed by what is the quicker and the easier? Don't forget about the "more haste less speed" idiom.
Erm... in this case, probably yes.
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