When a Toucan is a GNAT in disguise - Ped crossing signals not set up correctly.

[Cliffjumper24]

It could be that the ground loop (the vehicle detection wire hidden in the road surface) has failed... as a result, the system will shift to a failsafe of maximum safety timing.

Report it to the authority responcible.

[citytransportinfo]

@Cliffjumper24 Thanks.I did report it but nothing was done. Hence the video.

TfL (Transport / trafficjams For London) are law unto themselves and seem to like doing things in ways designed to isbenefit people who travel on rubber tyred transports.

[citytransportinfo]

Earlier today I met some TfL people who were at an exhibition about installing traffic signals at the nearby Gants Hill roundabout.

What took me aback is that there was someone else there commenting on these lights at the same time that I was about to comment on them

No-one is suggesting that these lights should go - only that they should be made to work properly!

Simon

ps, I did not see them taking any notes - I hope that their listening to local people was more than just cosmetic.

[downfader2]

Hi there, a possible reason for the lights taking so long may in fact be down to the local inhabitants - if they are elderly there may have been some "sway" put in to allow them extra time to cross.

At the end of the day you have to remember the traffic is only being held up for seconds, not hours. If traffic flow was a real problem the local council would have considered a bridge imo.

[citytransportinfo]

Hi There,

Thanks for your suggestions, but no.

These crossings already have a 'variable delay feature' which detects pedestrians who walk slowly and gives them extra time.

So its not this.

(see next message)

[citytransportinfo]

(Continued)

This road is controlled by TfL, who (under mayor Livingstone) were in favour of delaying traffic and even admitted to using traffic signals to do this. In Hendon they tried to remove an existing bridge over the North Circular Road so that people could cross the road 'at street level' but the local people successfully fought against this proposal.

Therefore the chances of them installing a bridge here are best regarded as 'zero'.

Simon

[downfader2]

Mind you, I can understand why they dont install bridges thesedays - the sheer expense being one, and little toerags lobbing off rocks at traffic being another.

Sounds like a review on the traffic flow is needed (perhaps one is already on the cards - these things take a while as theres never the staff to do it)

If TfL cant help you and other drivers need to contact the council directly - they'll probably just ignore one or two letters/emails though tbh. Good luck!

[cig1705]

Fair points about the failure of pedestrian detection and consequent delays to traffic. However, I think all such crossings should give pedestrian priority by changing quickly in their favour. This is unusual, as it is entrenched in conventional transport planning that pedestrians (and cyclists) have a lower value of time than motorists - in other words delaying them is less costly to society and the economy. Thankfully attitudes to walking and cycling are slowly changing.

[citytransportinfo]

Thanks for your comments. I favour treating people equally...

It seems that at this crossing the lights only change quickly when there is slow moving traffic and if 'called' by a pedestrian towards the end of a previous cycle.

(see next message - too long to add here)

[citytransportinfo]

As a contrast the new Toucan crossing in Cranbrook Road (north of Gants Hill - near the library) takes forever & a day to change, which is equally inequitable. I used them last Sunday & found the wait was so long that most pedestrians were able to cross in a gap in the traffic before they changed, & then the 'auto-cancellation' feature was invoked so that they did not change at all. A lady who lives nearby said that she thought the lights were cosmetic, as she had never seen them actually work!

[policeblue999]

The main reason for this delay is because of the junction on the left, especially when it is rush-hour, this area along the Eastern Avenue can get very congested and even going through the back roads, it can be very busy. this delay gives vehicles exiting the side road a fair chance to turn onto the main road!

[citytransportinfo]

Nope, cant be - because similar applies at other locations too. Such as the Woodford Avenue by the roundabout with Beehive Lane, Longwood gardens etc - the signals on the Grasmere Gardens side of the roundabout are also toucans, and they too have this road rage inducing delay.

(that said, yesterday they were not working at all, which is also not so good, as it makes it much harder for pedestrians to cross the road).

Simon

[policeblue999]

very well, is there a main reason for this, other than to be annoying!!

[citytransportinfo]

but what about the westbound crtossing on the Eastern Avenue just b4 gants hill roundabout.

This too is a toucan, and includes the same road rage inducing feature.

There is NO side road here!

Simon

[policeblue999]

Yeah, What i also realized the other day is there is a completely new set of lights put in, now im confused as to what ones these are. i think they have been there for a while now but i have only just noticed them.

[citytransportinfo]

Toucans allow pedestrains and cyclists to cross - hence the name ('two-can' cross).

Puffins are just for pedestrains. There used to be a puffin crossing near the junction with The Drive and it always changed back within 3 seconds of the pedestrians having crossed the road. But these have been replaced with 'proper' road junction signals, which control traffic entering / leaving The Drive.

For the second time this year I've registered a fault with TfL (on their website).

Simon

[bucephalus00]

oh. must be a common fault cos i've seen it on some other toucans

[citytransportinfo]

The crossings are not installed correctly - its called 'driver annoying'.

[citytransportinfo]

well I have reported it to TfL, and so far their comment is that they have reported it to the borough.

I've also found a Puffin with this fault - I wonder if TfL are doing this purposely, on the Mayor's instruction - after all, the mayor has publically stated how much he dislikes road traffic, so he could be doing this as part of a policy of making driving unpleasant.

simon

[bucephalus00]

i've seen loads of those in my area. i suppose they act as ramp metering for the Redbridge roundabout. to be fair, it does take ten seconds for some people to cross the road so not that bad

[citytransportinfo]

ah but the lights are supposed to wait until people have crossed, and then change back. Not wait another 10 seconds after they have crossed!

Simon