CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Temporary traffic lights

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  1. wangi
    Member

    Getting increasingly frustrated about this... Almost all temporary traffic lights at road works are put in place with zero consideration of pedestrians and cyclists. It's pretty common for the lights to be put in place where there is an existing pedestrian crossing, but for the temporary one to have absolutely no capacity for pedestrians.

    There are two (at least) currently which are really irritating. At the junction of Macdonald Rd and Broughton Rd where the St Mark's path joins == no provision for cyclists or pedestrians. This is right next to Broughton primary school...

    The other is at the Seafield Rd & St junction - where the LCN10 Porty-Leith path goes. Again zero consideration on how cyclists will get from the shared use pavement across to Seafield St.

    Tweeted this morning:
    https://twitter.com/talkporty/status/344374652136730625

    Dear @Edinburgh_CC 1/2: why do majority of temporary traffic lights have zero provision for pedestrians (often replacing a ped crossing)?

    https://twitter.com/talkporty/status/344374665915019265

    DDear @Edinburgh_CC 2/2: please do not approve temporary traffic regulation orders unless most vulnerable users provided for safely

    This is entrenched common practice at roadworks. Please pass on comment to your local councillors so we can try and get consideration of this as critical part of temporary traffic regulation orders and road occupation permits.

    thanks/L

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. Min
    Member

    Yes, I hate this too. Pedestrians are routinely run over during the Broughton Road Ultraroadworkathon (which has been going on for years) but still just get ignored every time each new set of roadworks gets put in.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. BenN
    Member

    Wangi, wholely agree with you on this one - my most recent example was when they suspended the lights of the (incredibly busy) crossroads between Comely Bank Road and East Fettes Ave / Comely Bank Ave. This Junction is right next to a school, and no pedestrian phase was provided, with no nearby alternate crossing - leading to people constantly running out into 30mph traffic.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    "Pedestrians are routinely run over..." ?

    The temporary lights saga on Melville Drive were another example of truly mindblowingly poor provision and consideration. It does genuinely seem like temporary lights are considered merely from the driving poitn of view.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. Min
    Member

    "Pedestrians are routinely run over..." ?

    No deaths (that I know of), which makes it okay. Presumably the inconvenience caused by occasionally scraping them off the tarmac is less than the effect on "traffic flow" if you put a pedestrian phase in.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. steveo
    Member

    It does genuinely seem like temporary lights are considered merely from the driving point of view.

    I'm not sure it seems like I'd say that is demonstrably true.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. SRD
    Moderator

    Wangi - have you flagged it to Lesley Hinds? Pretty sure council policy is to include pedestrians in such designs.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. wangi
    Member

    I'll I've done so far is the tweets above and a further follow up to @edinburgh_cc. Planning some emails this evening.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. SRD
    Moderator

    I flagged this as an issue at one of the transport forums and was told that I 'wasn't being strategic' because it had already been sorted.

    More evidence (if that were needed) of the general principle that a 'policy' approved by council does not automatically transform into different ways of doing things.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. kaputnik
    Moderator

    No deaths (that I know of)

    How about the unfortunate tourist at Palmerston Place earlier this year one evening? Through a tramworks diversion where pedestrians had been "designed out" or forgotten about in the contrafllow. Pretty sure someone was knocked down and seriously injured a few days after too.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  11. Min
    Member

    I meant at Broughton Road. I know lack of crossings is the case almost everywhere else too but there are always roadworks there. Always.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  12. Min
    Member

    I flagged this as an issue at one of the transport forums and was told that I 'wasn't being strategic' because it had already been sorted.

    That is clearly just great big enormous baggy pantaloons isn't it? I sometimes wonder if any of our officials actually live here.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  13. SRD
    Moderator

    Correction. this is not policy. rather 'a report is being prepared for consideration by the transport cttee'.

    Posted 12 years ago #

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