Forum Topic

Quicker green man crossing lights?

Is it my imagination or are the crossing times at traffic lights briefer than they used to be?  I particularly refer to the three traffic lights around Ealing Green W5, opposite "For Art's Sake", the Oxfam bookshop and Angela Malik's shop. Has anyone noticed the same?

Gerry Tan ● 4344d9 Comments

I'm of the opinion that London road traffic would be quicker and more safe if there was a 20mph speed limit on all roads in Greater London.

Gerry Tan ● 4339d

Stanley Johnson needs to look a bit closer to home for the reason green man crossing times have been cut in London - his son did it as an attempt to speed up traffic in London.

Thomas Barry ● 4339d

Thanks Philippa.

Gerry Tan ● 4341d

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27339416

Philippa Bond ● 4341d

I was just going to post the same link from Living Streets for you Gerry.

Philippa Bond ● 4343d

I agree that the crossing time is, in many cases inadequate.I do, as both a pedestrian and a driver get hacked-off with those pedestrians who insist on running at the crossing when it has already started flashing amber and they are nowhere near it, equally the cyclists who consider all crossings (not just those with designated/shared cycle crossing indica) as their personal fiefdom and ride across irrespective of light colour. The non share crossings are called pedestrian crossings for a reason!Anyway, backto crossing times.Roads minister Robert Goodwill has pledged to swiftly review the DfT guidance on pedestrian crossing timings after criticism that the guidance walking speed is not adequate for older people.Goodwill said in the House of Commons yesterday that he would look into the situation given research suggesting that three-quarters of elderly people cannot get across before the signals change. "We are reviewing the situation. The updated puffin crossings have movement detectors, which allow extra time to be given.

Nigel Brooks ● 4344d

Flashing amber means you're not allowed to enter the area of the crossing marked on the carriageway if there's a pedestrian still on it.It's one of the the most flouted road laws I see, other than exceeding the speed limit.That and drivers stopping on the crossing part.I was in New Zealand crossing the road and a driver got stranded on the crossing (he carried on onto the crossing, car stopped in front on him, he got stuck on the crossing, lights went green for peds). Every single person that had to walk around his car remonstrated with him. I wish we were more like that here.As for crossing time:"Research shows that the current assumed walking speed, which determines green man time, is too fast for 85% of women and 76% of men aged 65 and over."http://www.livingstreets.org.uk/make-a-change/urgent-actions/smarter-crossings/give-us-time-to-cross

Paul James ● 4344d

Drivers need to be reminded that just because the lights have gone from red to flashing amber, it doesn't mean they can just floor the accelerator if someone is still crossing.I think there is plenty of time to cross so long as drivers understand and obey the rules.

Susan Kelly ● 4344d

There seem to be several newer different kinds of crossing lights available now.  There was something on You and Yours (I think) the other day with Stanley Johnson trying them out.There are ones that do a countdown and there are ones which sense whether a slower person has finished crossing the road before the lights change.I was looking at the lights you are talking about the other day and there has been some work done here.  Both I and another pedestrian had a problem crossing the side road from the college.  As we were about to step out into the road a car went through.  We were on opposite sides of the road and looked at each other quizzically and agreed that there was a green man showing at the time.  I later went back and watched the crossing and came to the conclusion that the car must have got fed up with waiting and gone through the red light.I didn't think that the lights opposite Angela Malik crossing the High Road had any accompanying bleep and wondered whether they should have.

Philippa Bond ● 4344d