Sep 05, 2013 12:00
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1. Most vehicle junction controlling traffic lights automatically display a walk sign if the natural cycle for cars gives a red light in that direction. Anything else would be ridiculous -- not unlikely, but I think people would notice.
2. Most stand-alone crossings have a button that activates them. If you're standing near one, it doesn't keep changing automatically.
3. Other junctions are less obvious and may or may not change automatically.
The default situation seems fairly unexceptional to me: sometimes you need to press the button, and as long as you never the button and then don't get a walk sign, there seems to be no harm. After all, someone might reprogram them again. If you NEVER need to press the button, then sure, you can remove the button.
A possibly-better compromise might be to illuminate the "wait" sign as soon at the walk sign goes red. That way, if "wait" is illuminated, you know the lights will change, and if not, you know you DO need to press the button.
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In Cambridge there are some places where the button-pushing is complicated by there being bicycle-sensing loops; which auto-press the button for you if you approach by bike.
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There's sensors to detect cars, and pedestrians push the button. As long as the big road had been green long enough, triggering either the sensor or the button immediately starts the cycle. After the cycle ends, the big road goes green again and stays that way for a minimum time before the sensors go live again.
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In Cambridge there are some places where the button-pushing is complicated by there being bicycle-sensing loops;
Ah! That's a good idea, but I didn't realise it existed.
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If no one is crossing the street then the traffic just flows. The one nearest my house has a quite a quick cycle between pressing the button and the lights changing. It’s quite a busy pedestrian crossing point (so busy in fact that I credit the use of a large electronic billboard next to it with Labour winning Edinburgh South at the last Westminster General Election) so it makes sense for the lights to be on a quick cycle. Especially as during the rush hour the traffic is usually stop start anyway.
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