http://m.scotsman.com/news/alastair-dalton-pedestrians-want-more-of-the-green-man-1-3742293
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Pedestrians want more of the green man
(11 posts)-
Posted 9 years ago #
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My mother has problems getting across a lot of city centre crossings before the lights change, and she's a pretty active 67 year old. It does make her less likely to walk places, I think.
Posted 9 years ago # -
there may be an issue with the time that the lights stay green, but this is a minor issue. far more of an issue is the lack of zebra crossings (and the fact that they are taken out/not put in because officials think cars won't stop for them), and the length it takes before a light goes green (especially where there are dummy crossings).
of course pedestrians should have longer greens, but this is a symptom of what is wrong with the entire system, not some 'easy fix' that will miraculously make it easier for people to walk places.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@SRD Don't get me started on Zebra Crossings. I've nearly been taken out whilst crossing the new ones on Leith Walk whilst pushing a buggy. I don't feel safe on those specific crossings and don't particularly appreciate being used as a human speed reduction measure.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I struggle to get the buggy across at the top of Easter Road, I think pedestrians get 3.5 seconds of the cycle.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I took an hour long timelapse at the Frederick / Princes Street junction just before Christmas. Showed the green man only on for 6 seconds, and pedestrians only had 20 seconds to cross before first vehicle moved. Many pedestrians were still crossing at that point
Pedestrians also had to wait more than 4 minutes for a green man
Posted 9 years ago # -
Many pedestrians were still crossing at that point
Mainly because they started crossing with the red man lit.Posted 9 years ago # -
At the crossroads of Duddingston Road and Southfield Place (and Baileyfield Road and Duddingston Park), a junction I often walk across to pop down to Porty, I can get roughly 2/3rds of the way across diagonally before the light goes red. I've a long stride, and a reasonably brisk walk, and there are loads of older folk around there. If they want to go diagonally (and no, I'll not accept any argument that pedestrians should not go diagonally) they'd either become chicanes for the over eager driver, or have to cross one road, then hit the button, and wait for a whole new sequence, before crossing the next.
Those lights also have a habit of going through a sequence after pressing the button before you get a green. I honestly believe that (within reason, with a delay if the green man has only just gone off) the green man should come on within a very very short period of time of the button being pressed.
Posted 9 years ago # -
At lot of the time you also have to negotiate past cars whose drivers can't understand the simple concept of keeping crossings clear.
Posted 9 years ago # -
A lot of new pedestrian crossings recognise how many people are waiting for the green man and call a green man accordingly. They also track people crossing the road, so if someone is crossing very slowly, the green man will stay active until they have completed their crossing. They also recognise if someone has pressed the button for the green man and then walked away. They are very clever now. Generally these seem to be midblock crossings and not at main junctions. For the fixed time crossings the green time is just based on the crossing distance/distance cars have to travel etc.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Generally should be a minimum of 7 seconds green time for pedestrians, especially at a junction like that. Generally not found it a problem crossing there way after the man has gone red though.
Posted 9 years ago #
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