Safe Speed Forums

I think these are a really bad idea, at least the way they are currently implimented.

A Puffin crossing is like a Pelican crossinf, except it has no flashing amber and extra (presumably expensive) sensors.

The advantages of a Puffin crossing over a Pelican crossing:

1. The sensors will detect when pedestrians have finished crossing so drivers won't have to wait longer than nesecary.
2. The sensors will detect if a pedestrian presses the button and crosses before the lights change, and then the lights won't change.

Well advantage 1 is already catered for in Pelican crossings, it's the flashing amber phase!

So that leaves only one advantage.

What is the point of these Puffin crossings? Why can't they have flashing amber? We all know the sensors will fail (and need replacing.... costs more again) and that they can only detect people crossing at the designated place to cross. I've seen drivers waiting at one of these when the lights were still red after someone had finished crossing, as soon as the red+amber lights appeared they did a wheelspin and drive off quite... briskly.
Are they really worth it?

And I was thinking... If the lights are red and there are no pedestrians around, or the lights stay red after the pedestrian/s have finished crossing then surely it's only reasonable to asume that the lights are broken?

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Andrew.

If this thread's anything to go by, you're opening a can of worms...

I think they're one of these things that theoretically work better and look good on paper but just don't work in practice. I have rarely seen anyone cut up by the flashing amber. It shows how when you don't treat people like idiots and just leave them to get on with something, things can work a whole lot better!

Puffin crossings make pedestrians treat their aspects with less respect.

For example, on a pelican crossing the red man shows when the signals for the cars are predominantly green. However, on a puffin both the pedestrian and car signals can be red at the same time. Some pedestrians see this and decide to cross the road, and more often than not the car signals change to green just after they have started crossing. Except now there is no flashing amber; just a green!

KISS: Keep it simple, stupid. Something my technology teacher once taught me at school. Don't nake things overly complicated just for the sake of it! Pelican crossings work. If it ain't broke don't fix it!

One extra idea to incorporate - pedestrian has pressed button ( probably out of habit ) then gets clear space to cross in - some thing needs building in to the crossing software to see that pedestrian has crossed and crossing is now empty/ no one is waiting at the side -

Would stop the "phantom button pressers " and the "i need to press a button " lot.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Holy moly 45 pages?!

I think there's multiple issues being confused.

Flashing amber vs un-nesecarly long red then red+amber.
Red/green men on the nearside or farside.
Sensors to detect some (but not all) pedestrian activity.

Anyway, the reason I brought this up... I noticed a planning application form on a lamp post. It is for the building of a hideous office block over a carpark. (but doesn't Poole have a parking problem? That's another story...)
When I looked further into it there is a Transportation Report, this report sais that the building work cannot start until the (perfectly good) zebra crossing in the road is moved and replaced with a puffin crossing. I see absolutly no need for it to be a puffin crossing and have until friday to complain.
Planning application search page
Enter Planning Application Number 06/30778/007/F and the 26/May/2006 transportation report(s) have it hidden inside them.

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Andrew.

That is, as far as I can tell, the only advantage of a tucan crossing. And even that asumes the sensors work and are in the right place.

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Andrew.

You mean that some one has actualy thought about false indications to motorists by peds - well i'll be *******---next we'll be finding peds looking out for cars ( large pig flies over head, B grabs helmet and ducks)

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on