Is it just me or are these new pedestrian crossing lights facing the wrong way.
Surely, if you have two displays, the upper ones should facing the people crossing from the other side.
The upper displays were probably added because only having one display mean that people could not see if there were many people waiting.
I know that Puffin crossings are supposed to be an improvement on the old Pelican crossing that we are used to but like so many engineering features they can have the opposite effect.
Studies show that the new Puffins are marginally safer than the old Pelicans. What they mean is that there are fewer injuries associated with Puffins than Pelicans. Traffic engineers often confuse fewer and less serious accidents with a place being safer. One could put guard rails along the entire High Street so that no -one can cross the street without using a car. That would make the High Street “safer” but it make it less amenable for walking. In my view if a High Street was a guard rail there is someone wrong with the layout and design of the street.
Guard rails in High Streets, pro-car new traffic signals, poor road surfaces – it re-enforces the notion that our Surrey administration favours Chelsea tractors over walking.
The reason why Puffins have the display on the post is to make pedestrians look at the on coming traffic. Imagine if the traffic signals for cars where placed not ahead but to the left and the right.
I am awaiting an answer from Surrey Highways regarding this replacement programme. I hadn’t seen any thing about it in the committee papers and it was not discussed. I hope it not a waste of money.
This picture happens to show my workplace – no not the Ship but above Waitrose.