CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

A pedestrian on Princes St

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  1. PS
    Member

    In Scotland, there has always been a presumption – in the minds of drivers, if not the authorities – that the car comes first. Those on foot must wait until the road is clear of vehicles, when there is no green man or zebra crossing.

    I had first hand experience of this last night as I crossed an deserted city centre street* last night.

    As I walked across, a car that had been parked on the left hand side of the road signalled and pulled out. I was now half way across the road passing from the left-turn lane to the right-turn lane and so kept on walking. Cardriverman obviously wanted to turn right because he swung out and simply drove towards me sounding his horn. No reason why he couldn't have made his manoeuvre after he'd passed me expect for the fact that the car comes first, I guess.

    He got an enthusiastic wave in response which, with bad timing, only turned into the universal sign language for onanist once he was behind me.

    *This was at 17h30, so said broad two lane wide street was deserted at rush hour. And yet we don't have room for wider pavements or segregated cyclelanes...

    Posted 7 years ago #
  2. kaputnik
    Moderator

    In Scotland, there has always been a presumption – in the minds of drivers, if not the authorities – that the car comes first.

    Funnily enough, Princes Street used to be the exception. People kept on crossing well after green man was replaced by red, and traffic always waited patiently until everyone was clear. Weight of numbers carried the day.

    I'm not sure when this all changed.

    Probably the fault of the trams or David Begg if you ask the Chipwrapper.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  3. Ed1
    Member

    The tram also has a sense of entitlement, if you pull out on to princer street cycling down the road and then the trams come along behind expects you to pull over ringing its bell, of course I do such and be unworkable otherwise likewise would with the bus sometimes. If my bell worked I would cycle behind the tram ringing my bell

    For clarity to establish principle from a practical perspective, what if all pedestrians did cross and walk on the road how would buses and tram ever get by? What if there was no presumption of vehicular priority?

    Most of the pedestrians on princer street just engaging in excessive consumption and frivolity -) Apart from me of course normally just trying to get back from the station

    Posted 7 years ago #
  4. chdot
    Admin

  5. Fountainbridge
    Member

    I'm now keeping track of pedestrian's being knocked over in Edinburgh. So far in 2017 (that's 7 weeks) 2 have died, 6 injured.

    http://fountainbridge.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/pedestrians-knowcked-over-by-vehicles.html

    Posted 7 years ago #
  6. neddie
    Member

    "Pedestrians knocked over by vehicles in Edinburgh"

    Ahem.

    "Pedestrians knocked over by drivers in Edinburgh"

    Mibbe...?

    Posted 7 years ago #
  7. acsimpson
    Member

    Or simply:

    "A woman has been involved in an collision with a bus on Princes Street"

    With no detail on wether she or the driver was at error it's hard to say. Perhaps she stepped out in front of the bus in which case I don't think the driver needs mentioned, or perhaps the driver used the horn thinking it was the brake in which case this wording is appalling.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  8. neddie
    Member

    @acsimpson

    I was referring to Fountainbridge's blog which falls into the same "sentient beings" trap as most news outlets

    Posted 7 years ago #
  9. acsimpson
    Member

    Sorry, my mistake.

    Posted 7 years ago #
  10. chdot
    Admin

    But these things are all relatively solvable with a bit of management vision.

    Posted 6 years ago #
  11. neddie
    Member

    Has anyone else noticed that the timing of the lights at the High St / Bank St / George IV Br junction seems to have been 'optimised*'?

    There used to be two pedestrian phases every cycle (i.e. a pedestrian phase after every vehicle phase). Now it seems there is only one pedestrian phase per cycle (i.e. Two vehicle phases, then a pedestrian phase)

    Traffic queues on George IV Br seem to have temporarily reduced (until Google/Waze/anecdotes redirects everyone). But at what cost to pedestrians? - now long wait times to add to the already absurdly long wait times at Market St / Mound.

    How can they "just" do this? How can they further disadvantage pedestrians like this, in the middle of an eminently walkable WHS? Do Living Streets, Lesley MacI, et al, know?

    *Prioritising the handful of people in motor vehicles, at the expense of those on foot

    Posted 5 years ago #
  12. paulmilne
    Member

    I was always under the impression that the two-pedestrian-phase-per-traffic-cycle timing was a summertime thing only when the press of crowds is overwhelming.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  13. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    "I was always under the impression that the two-pedestrian-phase-per-traffic-cycle timing was a summertime thing only when the press of crowds is overwhelming."

    This - but it is normally switched back sooner after festival? I was beginning to think they weren't going to bother this year.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  14. jonty
    Member

    I think the North Bridge junction has been double-phase all year. Further away from the festival, phases are occasionally skipped cos button isn't pressed.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  15. Ed1
    Member

    Hermiston gate roundabout path has no traffic lights and the lights run too close together meaning if heading from out of town to town sometimes have to wait several light cycles as no gaps to cross

    Posted 5 years ago #

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