Call to abolish traffic lights

[Agent Sparrow]

I remember when all the electricity went off in Brixton a few years ago (turning off the street lights) and I had to get to Clapham - it took me about 10 minutes to be able to cross the street by St Matthews church on Effra Road!

I don't think such a system would be any good for pedestrians or cyclists (the cyclists because they've more vulnerable and I can imagine them being knocked into more by impatient drivers - a lot of drivers don't recognise a cyclist's right of way now!)

 

[ska invita]

I went down Walworth road today for the first time in a while - and the top end (elephant end) has had a new layout.

What they have done is remove some traffic lights, and create the feeling of the whole road being a pedestrian zone.

This has been achieved by making the "drop" between pavement and road very sllight, and putting raise cobelled sections all along the length of the road,.

I stopped using walworth road because it was always blocked and jsut felt horrible to travel on - the difference this new layout has had is enormous.

Cutting out traffic lights, as an action on its own, would not be sensible - but implemented along with intelligent road/pavement design, I think it could work better in more places than it might first seem.

 

[Mation]

I can see it working, especially if there is a high volume of traffic, but only for the drivers. It would be extremely hard for pedestrians unless there were loads more pedestrian crossings than there are now.

 

[Urbanblues]

If traffic lights were abolished, wheelchair users would be totally fucked. We barely register on cyclists' radars when it's our turn to cross on green lights; how would we fare against cars and lorries that do not have to stop for us?

 

[Urbanblues]

Stay with traffic lights; I'll take my chances with rogue red-light jumping cyclists.

 

[gavman]

lose the lights off peak, and replace all with traffic sensing systems.
what is the point of stopping at three am every 50 yards?

 

[ska invita]

If traffic lights were abolished, wheelchair users would be totally fucked. We barely register on cyclists' radars when it's our turn to cross on green lights; how would we fare against cars and lorries that do not have to stop for us?

lose traffic lights and have more pedestrian crossings?

 

[Isambard]

The traffic lights at the corner of my street go off after 11pm and i think that's a good idea. Trouble is though, as mentioed above, if there are no lights, during the day, pedestrians don't get a look in. I like the idea of zebra crossings but using one the other day, I was so surprised when a car actually stopped like they are supposed to, I gave the driver a wave.