reduce no. of pedestrian crossings

wba31

building_with_lego wrote: »

I feel that zebra crossings suit quieter roads well, but sometimes they're installed on busy routes and cause traffic backlog. In our local town there's one right outside the cinema, where huge strings of pedestrians hold up the traffic for ages, sometimes holding it right back to block a box junction at the end of that road. Here, a puffin would be better in terms of traffic flow, with little inconvenience to those crossing.

Can you blame a crossing further down the road for drivers not recognising the exit isn't clear and therefore blocking a box junction?

Norman_Castle

grade15 wrote: »

There are 6 types of pedestrian crossings in the UK.

1) school crossing
2) zebra crossing
3) Pelican crossing
4) Puffin crossing
5) toucan crossing
6) Pegasus.

why can't there be just merge Pelican , Puffin and toucan crossing into one type.
pedestrian or cyclist press stop button..turns green man..walk across.
car stops when it is red light..go when it is green light..
simple!

leave out school crossing, Pegasus and zebra crossing.

Puffin is likely to be more expensive than Pelican so only used where beneficial. Toucan crossings are used where cycle routes cross roads. Putting them between pavements makes no sense.

Who would benefit from merging the different types?

To save others searching to figure out exactly what the difference is.
http://www.2pass.co.uk/crossing.htm#.WBr-ivSzlAE

NBLondon

Logically - Toucans and Pegasi are just special forms of Pelicans that are installed where there are shared pathways. If cost allows - it would make sense to upgrade them all to Puffin sensors. Near me there's a Toucan crossing the A2 - but since the council resurfaced for the Olympics and never replaced the cycle lane markings it just ends up being a free for all!


I'm dubious about how effective the sensors can be - in theory you should be able to measure the traffic flows and adjust the sequence timing to balance but in reality... impatient wheel-users will continue to whiz through on amber (or red) and impatient foot-users will dash through gaps. So I don't think that can be avoided without rising barriers or everybody becoming Danish overnight.

rdr

JP08 wrote: »

Another aside, relating to Toucan and Pegasus crossings. Horses really do not like cyclists for some reason - not in a minority-psychopathic-motorist way, we just seem to be really spooky to them. Ring your bell well back as a warning to the rider and pass VERY wide and VERY slow ...

Your voice is much less likely to spook a horse than a bell, I talk to the rider and the horse as soon as I see them and keep on until I'm past. Horses will run from things they don't understand, talking identifies you as human, bells do not.

silverwhistle

If I were cycling past a horse I'd just call out 'Coming through' or similar.
Haven't ridden for years but it's useful for the rider to know as they can be ready for any sudden movement of the horse.

Throbbe

JP08 wrote: »

Knew my Toucan from my Pelican - and approve of the distinction.

Another aside, relating to Toucan and Pegasus crossings. Horses really do not like cyclists for some reason - not in a minority-psychopathic-motorist way, we just seem to be really spooky to them. Ring your bell well back as a warning to the rider and pass VERY wide and VERY slow ...

The OP missed Tiger crossings, although they have only been authorised this year. It's effectively a Zebra with a cycle crossing which confers the requirement for drivers to stop for cyclists (on a zebra, cyclists should dismount). Tiger is to Zebra, as Toucan is to Pelican.


On the horse point, I believe it is because horses natural predators tended to be stalking carnivores, so they have a flight reaction if they become aware of something approaching quietly from behind, particularly at speed. They have good hearing, so a first 'ting' of a bell before the rider would hear it isn't a bad idea, or as someone else said, talking, which identifies the potential predator as human.

building_with_lego

wba31 wrote: »

Can you blame a crossing further down the road for drivers not recognising the exit isn't clear and therefore blocking a box junction?

Oh no, they block it because they are more important than anyone else and therefore NEED to edge into the junction or at least be next in line to, or because they know that it doesn't really apply to them because they're in a hurry and there aren't any cameras.