Press Button, look, cross, stop the traffic

[Luke Briner]

Pelican crossings and crossings at traffic light intersections seem to follow this strange pattern where people out of habit press the "Wait" button and then look and often will then cross the road where there is a gap in traffic. Of course a while later, the lights go to red to allow people to cross but no-one is there, just a load of cars waiting for nothing. Ironically, I often find when the lights do change to green, some people start crossing to try and get across before the cars have accelerated. In other words, most people are happy to jostle for position.

Not much you can do about this under the current technology (apart from "push and hold" to cross) but you could always go Japanese. When route A gets a green light, so do the crossings that cross route B so route A traffic can go straight ahead but has to give way to pedestrians and cyclists if turning left or right. I know this is not in the spirit of free-space but it would be an easier sell to most councils who appear both lethargic to change and also fearful of some court case should someone be hurt crossing an intersection.

[Martin Cassini]

Yes, I've often noted your first point, and it underlines the inefficiency of the current system. If pedestrians had automatic priority, or equal priority, and everyone could filter in turn, with the onus and legal liabillity on the driver to beware the ped instead of the other way round - again, we'd cancel the "need" for lights, and the need for speed, allowing everyone to merge in a merry mix on a level playing-field. The Japanese system sounds complicated. The more I think about it, the less I think we need technology, except the brain technology we're born with - in my view the optimum guide to safe, sociable, efficient interaction.