Time to standardise traffic signals?

murphaph

I suggest that it's hight time we standardised our traffic signals across the country. Currently we have a disjointed mess which varies from 'good' to 'shockingly poor'. I do not beieve we should choose a single manufacturer for our signals as that would lead to us being ripped off but there are numerous examples where we could present a better, more uniform picture for ALL road users, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

For a start, isn't it time we picked a type of pedestrian crossing and stuck to it? Currently we have (at least):

-Zebra crossings with black and white poles and belisha beacons atop.
-Zebra crossings with galvanised poles and single amber lenses 3/4 way up the pole in addition to the belish beacons atop
-3 lights facing traffic which shows red to flashing amber to green to amber to red
-3 lights facing traffic which shows just red and straight to green to amber to red, no flashing amber.
-3 lights facing pedestrians, red to green to amber to red
-2 lights facing pedestrians, red to green to flashing green to red
-A mixture of toucan crossings with the bike lights bolted to the ped lights mirroring the above ad-hoc mess.
-A unique? setup on the R134/R136 junction with SOLID red/amber/green balls for pedestrians, that's right-no coloured men, just solid balls, the same as fore vehicular traffic. Very confusing and probably dangerous depending on your viewing angle.
-A huge variety of different pushbutton types and different beeping sounds for different crossings. Ok for most people but partially sighted people should get more consideration and all pushbuttons and beeping noises should be standardised for their ease of use.

Have I missed any (more) oddball types?

Maybe someone else could do a critique of signals for vehicular traffic-I'm worn out after that!

Victor

You forgot:

Coundown timers
Hi-vis lights
Stainless steel poles
...

murphaph

Thanks Victor. It seems I also forgot the set on Parliament St right outside the Turk's Head. It has three ped symbols but works like a UK pelican....its green man flashes (ooer) and then the red illuminates...the amber man never illuminates! Far too many oddball types knocking around.

BrianD3

Some more:

-Crossings which have the poles and flashing amber beacons but no zebra markings on the road

-What looks like it may be a ped crossing with dished footpaths and white lines running across the road and that's it.

-Zebra crossings in shopping centre car parks which are black and yellow instead of black and white. Zebra with jaundice?

The most bizarre one though is a traffic calming/ped crossing "thing" which consists of footpaths brought out into the road and an island in the centre of the road. Yellow signs approx 1 metre high placed on the footpaths and island, on each of these there is painted a small speed limit sign, a yield sign and a graphic depicting a pedestrian crossing the road. One of these can be seen on the N3 Virginia Co. Cavan. About 150 metres away from it there is a more standard zebra crossing.

Zoney

BrianD3 wrote:

-What looks like it may be a ped crossing with dished footpaths and white lines running across the road and that's it.

These are particularly ridiculous. I can think of one instance where such an arrangement is even at an extremely dangerous crossing point. Any number of these arrangements should be proper Zebra crossings.

Del2005

Sorry for going OT. On the topic of pedestrian crossing. There are also the few around the Square and Belgard road. They are speed bumps with a sort of ped crossing signs on some and just speed bumps at others. Then they have what appears to be railway sleepers sticking up from the ground so car drivers can't see anything, and no clear sign anywhere saying that the are even ped crossing and not just hi-jacked speed bumps.

Borzoi

Zoney wrote:

These are particularly ridiculous. I can think of one instance where such an arrangement is even at an extremely dangerous crossing point. Any number of these arrangements should be proper Zebra crossings.

ehm lads, these are Schools Crossings i.e. Lollipop ladies & gents so are only operational at school opening & clsong times

Zoney

Borzoi wrote:

ehm lads, these are Schools Crossings i.e. Lollipop ladies & gents so are only operational at school opening & clsong times

That comment is a bit condescending. I know many school crossings are like this, but across roundabout exits and junctions miles away from schools, I don't think you can make the argument that they are school crossings. Besides, school crossings are supposed to be, and usually are, marked with warning lights a school children crossing sign (as opposed to the pedestrian crossing sign). Also as you point out, school crossings usually have lollipop people (what an odd title) in morning/afternoon. The crossings I refer to don't.

Victor

Zoney wrote:

lollipop people (what an odd title)

"School traffic wardens".

yaledo

Travelling out the Dublin road from The Huntsman - The traffic lights at the entrance to Renmore Road (near Bon Secours Hospital and Duggans shop). Part of the traffic light sequence is to have both a green light and a red light side by side!!!

The intention is that cars should be allowed to go straight on, but not turn right.
What is needed is perhaps a green filter light beside a red light... OR a green filter light and a red filter light...

O O
O O
O O
Is nonsense,
it should be:
^ O
O O
O O

or
^ O
O O
O ->

(just imagine that ^ is an up arrow - or a 'straight ahead filter light')

murphaph

Ah, well protected right turns (filter lights) are a law unto themselves in this country. They have basicaly got every conceivable combination out there, some extremely dangerous actually.

Red Alert

I think the beeping noise thing does need to be sorted out. There are three push buttons on the go currently:

The older glass fronted metal box, painted black and yellow. Some have had buzzers fitted over the years. Relatively vandal-resistant, and use an ordinary 10 Watt bulb. On the way out.

The black ones with the silver button and an arrow showing the way to go. Appear to be vandal resistant, but a lot of the buzzers seem to be broken. Has two distinct sounds, one for red/amber and another one for green. Not all crossings use both sounds.

The blue ones which have the braille marking and a tactile push button. Large yellow indicator light. Can make two different sounds and adjusts level to traffic around it. Button cannot be felt by touch but seems to respond to any press in its viscinity. Seem very reliable, but look awfully shabby.

I wish they'd just settle on one. Every other european city i've visited has at most two different push types.

Victor

Yaledo, they appear to be upside down!