Reported in the Traffic lights category by Eric Richards at 06:38, Fri 11 February 2011
Sent to Auckland Transport 35 sec later.
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About the 7th February 2011, the traffic phase was changed on Symonds Street, Grafton Bridge – Karangahape Road (including a free left turn from Symonds Street into Karangahape Road).
First warning on phase change was given to motorist but not too pedestrian, so I crossed on 8th of February thinking the signals were faulty. The replacement phase change is the same as what it used to be before Grafton bridge was strengthen, highlighting a old problem and inconsideration for our deaf citizens.
The replacement intersection traffic phase used before Grafton bridge was strengthened and now after 7th February means that pedestrians cross from Grafton bridge across Symonds Street (across the newly placed pedestrian crossing) to Karangahape Road immediately before motorist have the green light for Symonds Street.
What happens on this phase change, buses stop on the red light on Symonds Street at the correct road marking, then they notice a bus behind them stopped with their left indicator flashing to turn left at the free turn unable turn. The front bus then moves forward to allow the bus behind them access to Karangahape Road, after the front bus has moved, it now blocks the visual signals for pedestrians waiting to cross from Grafton Bridge into Karangahape Road.
With the interim lights phase change, Symond Street motorist got the red lights immediately followed by the pedestrian crossing, then it did not matter if the buses moved, before motorist got their next green light.
Possible solutions:
1) Instruct bus drivers they must not move forward from the road markings.
2) Move the pedestrian signal higher so they are above the height of the bus.
2a) Duplicate the pedestrian signals so a second signal is above the height of buses.
3) Make the lead up to the turn into Karangahape Road longer.
Conclusion:
I would be dumbfounded if a solution was not found to avoid a regular occurrence of buses blocking these pedestrian signal on this light phase change as Auckland city (and no doubt other parts of New Zealand) has riddled the city with “footpath cancer” a matrix of very bright yellow plastic domes placed more at pedestrian crossing for Visually Impaired Pedestrian (VIP) , these bright yellow plastic domes are very slippery when wet, while I have only lost shoe traction and now avoid them, I have heard of other cases were other came closer to minor injury. It is time to realize there are hearing impaired pedestrians around as well.
For further reading see “Beware of the growing footpath cancer” in the page at
http://www.dubdubdub.net.nz/acc/footpath.html
Phone 0226124614 (a/h)
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