[sustran] Re: Pelicans and puffings - thanks!

[Zvi Leve]

When considering the traffic and pedestrian situation in India and many
other rapidly motorizing places, it is worth recalling the little known
history of how similar events played out in North America almost a century
ago. There is an excellent book by Peter Norton called 'Fighting Traffic:
The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American
City<http://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Traffic-American-Inside-Technology/product-reviews/0262141000/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1>'
which documents this struggle quite extensively.

Ironically, it was the push for pedestrian safety which eventually led to a
shift in attitudes about 'uncontrolled' pedestrian circulation, and to paved
the way to the acceptance that 'roads are for cars'.

Will history repeat itself?

Zvi

On 14 July 2010 12:12, Ian Perry <ianenvironmental at googlemail.com> wrote:

> How do the English English names, Pelican Crossing, Puffin Crossing and
> Chicken Crossing, and are known to millions of people in the UK and India,
> cause so much upset on this forum?
>
> The original question referred to the possibility of installing pelican
> crossings (pedestrian crossings on streets, controlled by traffic lights)
> in
> Hyderabad, India.
>
> I live in a wonderful UK city where there are traffic lights, many with
> pedestrian crossing facilities on almost every street.  I watch people live
> their lives sat stationary in cars waiting for it to be their turn to drive
> their car past the green light as fast as possible.  Only sometimes does
> this result in an "accident".
>
> Meanwhile, pedestrians don't want to walk to the nearest crossing, but
> cross
> where they are, taking the shortest route - even if this means climbing
> over
> guardrails.  If pedestrians do use the crossings with traffic lights, often
> they cross before the green light is shown to them.  So England and the
> rest
> of the UK has spent millions of pounds on pedestrian lights that people
> don't use!  Even Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has realised
> the folly of having so many traffic lights!
>
> In the Netherlands and UK, we are spending money to remove pedestrian
> crossings and other sets of traffic lights - so is it so wrong of me to
> suggest denying pedestrian crossings with traffic lights to those in
> countries that have not realised for themselves the perils of such
> expensive
> technological solutions to traffic?
>
> Traffic lights treat the symptoms of the chaos on our streets, and not the
> causes.  The causes include the inappropriate vehicles we are using - and
> the expectation that people should use them to access services and
> facilities.
>
> In most parts of the world people do mostly obey traffic lights, though the
> colour blind, tired and distracted sometimes fail to stop, hitting those
> who
> assumed that they could use the junction safely due to a green light in
> their direction.  This is not the case in all places, including Italy and
> Spain!  Motorists in these countries frequently ignore traffic lights -
> rather like Parisian motorists ignore the existence of pedestrians on
> marked
> pedestrian crossings - at least that was my perception.
>
> What India has (minus the rubbish/garbage/trash) is what many in Europe
> want
> our streets to be like.  Would these roadsides be cleaner if it was not for
> the traffic making the space uncomfortable for people?
>
> Rather than make Hyderabad resemble LA - just as peak oil arrives, and most
> of the word realise that LA is a mistake...  better solutions are required.
>
>
> >From what I've seen of Hyderabad on YouTube...  Would narrowing the
> carriageways and removing larger vehicles be possible?  Larger vehicles
> include larger private vehicles, goods vehicles and buses...  Buses kill
> too
> many people, especially in India!  Trams are much safer, as their movement
> is predictable... and trams can carry goods.  Smaller goods vehicles or
> restricting goods vehicles to certain times could be an option - and
> freight
> consolidation could work in India?
>
> Traffic lights and restricting pedestrians to specified crossings are not
> the answer - pedestrians have the right to the whole street - and this
> means
> crossing where it is convenient for them - otherwise they'll get into a car
> instead...
>
> "Jay" walking is a good activity - though I know this will upset some
> people!
>
>
>
> Best wishes to all
>
> Ian Perry
> --------------------------------------------------------
> To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit
> http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss
>
> --------------------------------------------------------
> If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, please go to
> http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real
> sustran-discuss and get full membership rights.
>
> ================================================================
> SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred,
> equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries
> (the 'Global South').
>