Count down crossings

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
Has anyone else noticed these popping up about the place.

they seem like a really good idea (I Noticed a few on the Old kent road for the first time today) they have a large lcd display counting down the traffic and crossing light change, so that you can see how much longer you have to cross or travel on green.

Never noticed them before.
 

Alan Whicker

Senior Member
Doesn't the new crossing at Oxford Circus have them?

I've encountered them in Kuala Lumpur, where they give you precisely enough time to get two-thirds over the road before finding yourself in a swarm of about 10,000 mopeds.
 
Am I right in saying that the countdown here is telling you how much time you have left before the traffic moves again?

In Glasgow (Argyle street) they have lights that tell you how long before the green man comes on. I thought this was a good idea as it means people are more likely to wait than just run across.
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
That's a good idea. That junction is notorious for jay walkers that come straight out of the tube and straight across the road with not a care.

Abs

In which case, will any sort of crossing help? A zebra would be more appropriate, assuming any drivers knew how to use them.

I've seen something similar to the countdown ones in Mexico City, where the green man flashed faster in the last ten seconds of the phase - sort of encouraging pedestrians to start running I think!
 

Guvnor

Active Member
Location
Essex
Has anyone else noticed these popping up about the place.

they seem like a really good idea (I Noticed a few on the Old kent road for the first time today) they have a large lcd display counting down the traffic and crossing light change, so that you can see how much longer you have to cross or travel on green.

Never noticed them before.
They've had them in Siberia, Russia for years and they work very well. Quite surprised that there only just starting to pop up here.....
 

HaloJ

Rabid cycle nut
Location
Watford
In which case, will any sort of crossing help? A zebra would be more appropriate, assuming any drivers knew how to use them.

Probably not but please, not a zebra! They'd just constantly bimble across causing the traffic to back up worse than it already does. :ohmy:
 

martint235

Dog on a bike
Location
Welling
That's a good idea. That junction is notorious for jay walkers that come straight out of the tube and straight across the road with not a care.

Abs


It was quite funny when BBC London did a piece on the one outside Southwark tube station. The reporter was happily going on about how the countdown meant you knew the lights were going to change and you didn't need to rush etc when the countdown hit zero and 90% of peds just completely ignored it and walked across anyway.
 

Similar threads

Top Bottom