Pedestrian Crossings

ballinasloe

Hi,

I'm doing an in depth study of people's experiences at pedestrian Crossings and am looking for any comments, questions, ideas, thoughts, experiences, stories etc that you might have.

Thanks

Andrew Duffy

I walk from Parkgate St to Harold's Cross every day. There is not a single crossing that is well deigned along the route. Here's the main problems, in no particular order:

- Narrow four- or even two- lane roads split into two seperate crossings.
- Crossroads with only three, or in many cases, two crossings. If you want to avoid running across the road, you must have advance knowledge of the layout of the next three or four junctions - and I'm sure there are jouneys it is impossible to avoid crossing without lights at.
- Junctions with an excessively long red pedestrian phase, usually for no reason. The best example I can think of is crossing Church St from Arran Quay to Inns Quay - the pedestrian green phase is about seven seconds, followed by at least a minute of red all 'round. If you approach the lights when they are red, you could either have enough time to cross it twice, or no time at all.
- Driver indiscipline. It is illegal to stop in a pedestrian crossing - this needs to be rammed home using fines and points to impose a culture change, after which we might even be able to introduce zebra crossings. The worst problems are at crossings near large junctions, especially if the junction has a yellow box. The majority of motorists cannot bear the thought of missing a light cycle in order to obey the law, even though in heavy traffic they will get to the same point twenty metres down the road at the same time regardless.
- Cyclist indiscipline. With the exception of amber gambling, motorists do not tend to break pedestrian lights quickly. I have seen cyclists breaking the speed limit doing so. Even if there is space beyond the crossing, it is still illegal to drive, ride or cycle through the crossing to get there while the traffic light is amber or red. I'll just clarify that I've never seen a motorcyclist drive through a junction on red, but often see them cruising through to wait in or beyond the crossing. Scooter riders often go through the junction, and if not, always stop in or cruise through the crossing. Pushcyclists always go through the crossing, and about half through the junction, usually at speed and without observation.

cyclopath2001

Dublin's pedestrian crossings are tools of oppression & discrimination against pedestrians.

They are represented as being facilities when in fact they remove priority from pedestrians and give it to vehicles.

Crossings are placed not where they would be of advantage to pedestrians but where they would be of least inconvenience to vehicle drivers.

Have a look at the North side of the new bridge, at Blackhall Place.

Also worth examining is how pedestian priority at non signal-controlled minor junctions is not respected by vehicle drivers.

C.

Andrew Duffy

That one is on my daily route. There are three crossings, but the only useful one - along the north quays, since not many people like walking along the river side, inches away from speeding trucks - is absent, to allow unrestricted left turns up Blackhall Place. There is rarely any left turning traffic, but I still have to play a suicidal game of craning my head backwards to see if there is, then scurrying across, hoping that noone speeds out and around the corner while I'm looking out for [motor]cyclists jumping out from between the lanes.

rom1

The main roundabout in the Sandyford Industrial Estate (where Brewery Road, Leopardstown Road, Burton Hall Road and the South County Business Park road merge)
There are NO pedestrian crossings. Every morning, people coming from Stillorgan road have to run between cars to get to their workplace. I wonder how long it's gonna take before someone gets killed. The drivers don't seem to understand that if they don't stop, the pedetrians will spend their day waiting on the pavements (and I'm a driver myself).

Victor

The junction of Dame Street / South Great Georges Street is good - there had only been two crossing and now there are 3 synchronised crossings (I think this has been changed recently to offset one green man by a few seconds). My only real beef with the junction (traffic levels aside) is the narrowness of the footpaths.

Bee

In central Dublin I would suggest that all evidence of the silly and dangerous painted cycle lanes be removed at pedestrian crossings.

It appears to encourage insane cyclists to plow thru' regardless of Red lights. I personally know from (lets say work experience!) the amount of injuries to pedestrians that have ensued.

I would suggest that all cycle lanes should end at pedestrian crossings and cyclists should be forced to share the same roadspace with cars,the bus and motorcyclists. It would probably be the only thing to make a cyclist take care and perhaps hit less pedestrians.

The idiot ones (i.e. the majority... thru' town would most likely be eliminated due to their own selfish stupidity by general traffic)

But seriously, there are a lot of elderly folk with restricted mobility. e.g. problems turning their heads due to various old age illnesses, poor vision etc. They often walk out seeing the green light tho' failing to react to the on coming killer cyclist breaking the lights.

Don't believe me? Lean against the wall for 15 minutes in Dame St beside the pedestrian crossing just before City Hall and watch the bikes continously break the red lights or perhaps the nice garda in DCC's Traffic jam Dept eyeballing the TV traffic monitors might provide you with a tape!

Bee

a_ominous

One thing I cannot understand about ped lights in a city is why, oh why do we have to press a button at all? When the vehicular traffic is stopped, ped lights should go green. None of this 'press a button, wait 10 minutes, please let me cross the road' $#!+

Another thing: who decides on the time for peds to cross? At Parkgate Street, the ped light goes green for 2.5 seconds, maybe 3 seconds. Not enough time even for a sprightly 25 yo like me! And there is only one crossing there. I've seen school groups in June trying to cross the road after getting off the regular Dublin buses. Messy crossing, with Garda vehicles coming and going, big artics, etc...

seamus

Originally posted by a_ominous
One thing I cannot understand about ped lights in a city is why, oh why do we have to press a button at all? When the vehicular traffic is stopped, ped lights should go green. None of this 'press a button, wait 10 minutes, please let me cross the road' $#!+

It depends on how busy it is. Just like traffic lights, some ped lights should go every time, others only need a button (the equivalent of a sensor at traffic lights).

Another thing: who decides on the time for peds to cross? At Parkgate Street, the ped light goes green for 2.5 seconds, maybe 3 seconds. Not enough time even for a sprightly 25 yo like me! And there is only one crossing there. I've seen school groups in June trying to cross the road after getting off the regular Dublin buses. Messy crossing, with Garda vehicles coming and going, big artics, etc...

IMO, the attempt here is to try and stop people from dashing across the road in front of traffic. The orange light is usually extra long when the green light is short, so the theory is probably to get everyone waiting to cross immediately, and anyone who comes later to wait (i.e. when it's orange your not supposed to start crossing). Of course, this only works on a small number of people.

paddythe goat

hi....good luck with studies,

celbridge co kildare has a few very dangerous crossings....4 in total....3 on dublin side of liffey bridge....all crazy and way too close to bridge junctions...dangerous for cars, buses, pedestrians, and persons on bikes....good idea to have crossings but all have very poor sightlines....for all.......the one on main st opposite duck pub is best of bad lot....it too could be moved 10 m to 20m closer to mill complex to improve sightlines for all.....plus change from zebra crossings to pelican crossings which are safer for all.... we have one outside catholic church 100m down the town and it works well....must better than ones at narrow bridge which is also dangerous...........

kildare county council have issues to answer for in celbridge..only they can answer....the public can only speculate as to why why why......dangerous crossings were put in day one???? and why they are still there despite the danger.........

LXFlyer

This is a 10 year old thread????

Nollog

lxflyer wrote: »

This is a 10 year old thread????

to be fair, his keyboard is broken.

mrbike

lxflyer wrote: »

This is a 10 year old thread????

I didn't even notice. It seems nothing much has changed in 10 years...

Chris_5339762

Just as bad as it ever was... with those wretched "yellow man" lights cropping up everywhere. Absolutely hate them. Whats wrong with red, green and flashing green?

Carawaystick

The only 2 I know work in Dublin are at the Swan on Aungier St
and at the national library on Kildare street*





*may have other nefarious reasons....