I use the crossing to go from moorfoot to Fitwilliam street and it is one of the new style crossings with the red man / green man indicator down by the crossing button. It strikes me that these are much less convenient and even more dangeroues than the older style with the red man / green man indicator up on a pole where you could actually see it while crossing and obove the trafic. What do other people think - am I just being an old reactionary?

I don't like the new style ones at all, they're all around the new road system and are confusing, you have to unnaturally look to your side to find out if the cars have stopped on the other side of you! It goes against logic.

Plus the new ones don't beep, so blind people must find them less user friendly.

I think the crossings should have the usual green man on the pole across from you AND the one by the button for when the sun is straight in your eyes and you can't see the pesky thing.
Also a lot of the new crossings have been placed so pedestrians have to walk sometimes quite a distance away from their selected route so then they just try to cross the road on the junction, the crossings up by the roundabout on Arundel Gate are a good example of this.

The old style are definitely best. Anyone know the reason for the change? Is it just a cost thing?

I think these new ones are dangerous. You can't watch the traffic, the green/red man and the traffic lights all within one glance.

You get no indication as to whats happening with the traffic lights.

This is made worse when its raining, when all you want to do is cross the road, not stand around getting wet.

Have you also noticed they have padestrian detectors. I don't know if they can count the number of people waiting, but they must be set to ignore a button press if someone press the button and crosses anway. I can imagine this causing an accident for a padestrian following them thinking the lights have changed/are changing.

I prefer the old style. You can see the green man from a long way away so you know when to run for it. Also, you can keep an eye on the status of the green man whilst also looking out for traffic.

The new style crossings are less friendly. I would like to see them stay, but with a green man on the otherside of the road also. That would be the best of both designs.

I'm in full agreement, the old stuyle men where on the other side of the road. I usually never look at the little man, but look at the road traffic lights, when theirs are red, i can go.

the new crossing lights used on 'PUFFIN' crossings take ages to change to green, most of the time they take 30 to 40 seconds to change and ppl are already gone by the time light changes.

I have already received an email fron council, them stating the new system is better because it's better and we're the best...
I intend to reply to that with photos and videos to prove the new system has to go to bin or face ppl beeing run over coz they aren't going to wait.

Also what happenned to footbridges ! ==> cars don't have to stop, pedestrians don't have to stop.

Woodseats centre has been invaded by those non-working crossings and it's a pain in the rear to cross ! :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant:

I pity the foll who invented this shhhh :rant: :rant: :rant:

I prefer the old ones as well, because if you are crossing the road, you have no idea whether or not the green man has went out until you reach the other side.

Bring back the old ones!

I prefer the old ones and I think they are safer.

Why can't they have the crossings like they have in Dublin where there is a countdown timer until the lights change?

In Australia, the part that lights up, with the word "wait" on the push-button boxes is a large, vibrating plate that buzzes and vibrates when the signal is on "go" for the pedestrian. It is a way to let a blind pedestrian know the traffic is (supposed to be ) stopped. A blind friend of mine thinks that this is a much better method than just waiting, and straining to hear if the traffic is stopped.

The bleep on some crossings in sheffield is too feeble, often, to hear.

Another problem, sometimes, like at one crossing, nearby to me, is that the change phasing is too long, leaving the pedestrian standing, for what feels like forever, waiting for the lights to change in their favour.

PT

Puffin stands for "Pedestrian User Friendly Intelligent Crossing"

It is basically a more intelligent form of pelican crossing. Puffins work by automatically extending the green man time whilst a pedestrian is still on the crossing, making it safer for slower pedestrians, therefore eliminating the flashing green man and flashing amber signals. Puffins also determine if a pedestrian is still waiting to cross and should the pedestrian walk away it automatically cancels the demand.

The idea of the Red and Green man signal being mounted in the push button unit is that when pedestrians are looking at these signals they're also looking in the direction of oncoming traffic. Therefore pedestrians can see more easily that traffic has stopped before starting to cross the road. Also being positioned much closer to the pedestrians they're easier to see by visually impaired pedestrians.

I stood at the very same crossing on friday thinking "Where the f*** has the rest of this crossing gone?". I thought some thieving scroat had nicked it until my missus pointed out the silly little icon above the button.

Originally posted by Plain Talker
In Australia, the part that lights up, with the word "wait" on the push-button boxes is a large, vibrating plate that buzzes and vibrates when the signal is on "go" for the pedestrian. It is a way to let a blind pedestrian know the traffic is (supposed to be ) stopped. A blind friend of mine thinks that this is a much better method than just waiting, and straining to hear if the traffic is stopped.

The bleep on some crossings in sheffield is too feeble, often, to hear.
PT

Originally posted by Classic Rock
Plus the new ones don't beep, so blind people must find them less user friendly.

As well as the familiar bleeper, English pedestrian crossings also cater for blind pedestrians by being fitted with tactile units, these are small cones fitted under the push button unit which rotate when the green man signal is on and remain stationary at other times.

Originally posted by dinp
I prefer the old ones as well, because if you are crossing the road, you have no idea whether or not the green man has went out until you reach the other side.

Bring back the old ones!

Dont worry it should automatically extend the green man time whilst you're still on the crossing, well in theory anyway :D

Originally posted by mega_monty
The idea of the Red and Green man signal being mounted in the push button unit is that when pedestrians are looking at these signals they're also looking in the direction of oncoming traffic. Therefore pedestrians can see more easily that traffic has stopped before starting to cross the road.

Sorry, that doesn't work. You need to see the traffic in both directions. Especally at Moorfoot where the traffic is fairly quick (except rush hours) and the junction narrow.

With the increasing tendancy of drivers to ignore red lights, the junction just doesn't give enough information to the padestrian to make it across safely.

As to the green man extending its time. That must be a matter of faith. As I'm sure that its changed to red while crossing. Also, people have got used to the alotted crossing time, changing the 'rules' for a crossing looks like an accident waiting to happen.

the other problem with these new crossings is that the little man sign is at person height, fine when your the only person at the crossing, but if someone stands between you and it, you can't see when it changes from red to green. if the sign is above the pedestrains on the other side of the road you can see it above everyone's heads.

I pity the fool who voted "I like the new crossings".

Damn fool ! :suspect:

Originally posted by karl101
Sorry, that doesn't work. You need to see the traffic in both directions. Especally at Moorfoot where the traffic is fairly quick (except rush hours) and the junction narrow.


That depends on the site, if situated on a crossing at a dual carriageway with central reservation you only need to see the traffic in one direction' obviously there are going to be some sites where these type of signals are not the best answer, thats down to the traffic planners.

Originally posted by karl101
As to the green man extending its time. That must be a matter of faith. As I'm sure that its changed to red while crossing.

Green man extension should occur if the crossing controller is configured correctly and the on crossing detectors are working correctly.

Originally posted by karl101
Also, people have got used to the alotted crossing time, changing the 'rules' for a crossing looks like an accident waiting to happen.


Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn’t always mean its the best way. Traffic lights and control systems have to be approved by the department of transport before they can be installed on the highways.

Originally posted by mega_monty
That depends on the site, if situated on a crossing at a dual carriageway with central reservation you only need to see the traffic in one direction' obviously there are going to be some sites where these type of signals are not the best answer, thats down to the traffic planners.

I find in this crossing (with its central reservation) that the lil 'button mounted green man' is even more useless than on a straight crossing! Its not untill you get to the central reservation and check on the indicator that you find out its red for the next section of road. With the pole mounted display at one glance you can see green for the first section, red for the second...

Originally posted by mega_monty

Traffic lights and control systems have to be approved by the department of transport before they can be installed on the highways.

For Heaven's sake !....wasn't 'Two Jags' Prescott in charge of that at one time ? :o

The road should be shut off altoghether and turned in to a pedestrian only zone. Get a market on there and some shops and call it...errmmm, The MOOR!:suspect:

Puffin crossings have been used in many other parts of the country for a number of years, and once people have got used to them are widely regarded as being better for both pedestrians and drivers.

If you want to find out more about them there is a useful Traffic Advisory Leaflet on the DfT website:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_roads/documents/page/dft_roads_504816-02.hcsp