This light, exiting H C onto Gorgie Rd/Balgreen, shows green at the same time as traffic coming up from Balgreen Road.
The first time I got a bit of a fright and thought maybe I was too slow in completing the crossing when I saw the traffic bear down on me, but today I looked back and there is an overlap where both signals are green.
I've reported it (Clarence).
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Hutchison Crossway/Balgreen Rd Traffic lights
(20 posts)-
Posted 6 years ago #
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If I'm understanding correctly, isn't this just the normal practice of two directly opposing roads getting a simultaneous green? Looks from Streetview that this has been the case for a while. Right turning traffic from Balgreen Road should of course give way.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Yup, normal crossroads rules apply. You don't get a right turn filter out of Balgreen Road however much the junction design implies there should be one
Drivers certainly behave as if they have priority turning right most of the time and it's in my opinion worth drawing attention to again.
Posted 6 years ago # -
You're right! But the first day I was almost hit and had to brake suddenly to avoid being wiped out. Hence my fright.
Today, sane thing, but bizarrely there was s car alongside me who also braked suddenly while the stream of right turning traffic flowed.
What a terrible layout.Posted 6 years ago # -
I go through this with my kids occassionally - terrifying.
Posted 6 years ago # -
I've not been that way for a few months (I've settled on, Eltringham Terrace, Robb's Loan - abusing the pedestrian crossing then Fords Road, route to the Broomhouse path rather than Ballgreen)
But it used to be that the H C and Ballgreen road were on different phases of lights, there was a very short green - just long enough to let 2 cars through, before going red and the Ballgreen Road side going Green.
Posted 6 years ago # -
while the stream of right turning traffic flowed
Sadly, the council have tried to create a defacto urban motorway here, comprising the Western Approach Rd, Stevenson Rd, Balgreen Rd, Gorgie Rd (A71), from the city centre out to the bypass.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Actually, Christal, on reflection, we DO get a few seconds before changing back to red. The Balgreen stream get much longer.
So, why not allow H C to cross/turn without conflict for the sake of a few seconds? I genuinely thought this was the case, hence my alarm when I was nearly hit.Posted 6 years ago # -
Sorry, chrisfl! Autocorrect ...
Posted 6 years ago # -
Is it normal for a two-lane right turn to ever have to yield to oncoming traffic? Feels like sight lines can't be OK for it to happen safely. It's hard enough with just the one sometimes.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Right turning traffic from Balgreen Road should of course give way.
Is it normal for a two-lane right turn to ever have to yield to oncoming traffic?
I'd say it is normal.
Take Gilmore Place/Tarvit Street. Traffic coming from Tarvit St going straight across to Gilmore Place gets priority (by habit, at least), while traffic turning right from Gilmore Place to Leven Street has to wait.
Take Colinton Road/Myreside Road. Traffic going south on Colinton Road and straight across the junction gets priority, while traffic turning right from Colinton Road to Myreside Road has to wait.
If the Balgreen Road junction exhibits alternative behaviour of drivers, it is either because the traffic light phasing encourages it and/or the design of the junction encourages it, and driver behaviour is generally self-reinforcing.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@Arellcat
Hutchison Crossway/Balgreen Rd junction has 2 lanes of traffic turning right. Both lanes can turn right at the same time.
This isn't the case at the King's nor at Myreside
Posted 6 years ago # -
Yeah that's what I meant, probably wasn't clear.
Posted 6 years ago # -
UPDATE:
I went home via this junction this afternoon, spent a few moments watching the cycle and noticed that things were a bit different. I initially thought, wow, that was quick. But, then called Clarence, and the problem is this...
At "peak time" traffic from Hutchieson have a brief (3 sec) green light, which ceases and is followed by a separate signal for Balgreen Rd showing green + right filter which goes on for several seconds (much longer than HC - understandably). This is MUCH safer in my opinion.
At non-peak times (after 9:30 which is when I passed through this morning), signals for both directions are simultaneously green initially but without the Right filter from Balgreen. The HC phase still only lasts a few seconds while the Balgreen has much longer. I didn't notice this morning if the the filter eventually comes on at non-peak times. Driver complacency/inattentiveness makes this a very risky situation which I communicated to Clarence and will do so again in writing.
Posted 6 years ago # -
The sensible solution would be to have (bike-sensitive) sensors at Hutchison Crossway, and give it a light cycle whenever a road user is waiting...
Posted 6 years ago # -
I agree with all above.
It is a very scary junction heading straight across from HC to Balgreen and drivers approaching turning right into Gorgie seem to think they have right of way.
My alternative of Slateford Green - McDonalds/Aldi straight across to Westfield Road, has the frustrating driver habit of not indicating left into Gorgie Road, I think because the phsychology is they don't have to since the "main road" is left and not straight on to McDonalds/Aldi.Beware of this if you're waiting to turn right into Gorgie Road too as the majority of drivers don't indicate there.Posted 6 years ago # -
Quality St/Queensferry Road is another example of two right hand turn lanes having to yield.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Beware
of thisif you're waiting to turnright into Gorgie Road tooas the majority of drivers don't indicatethere.FIFY
Posted 6 years ago # -
I also find this junction scary.
But when coming in the opposite direction I find tackling that huge roundabout 10 x more scary. I've avoided rush hour too so dread to contemplate what it is like then!
Posted 6 years ago # -
cb: ooh, very good.
Still seems to me that in both cases separate phases make more sense - I wonder how much extra right-hand flow you actually gain at rush hour?
Posted 6 years ago #
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