How about cutting some of the street clutter and going to the Spanish (Mallorcan) one primary and one gantry (same pole) per approach - and use the same pole to carry direction signs etc > -----Original Message----- > From: tcug-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tcug-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On > Behalf Of mervyn.hallworth@xxxxxxxxxxxx > Sent: 10 June 2004 15:01 > To: tcug@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [TCUG] Re: 'Wacky ideas' > > > Those of you at yesterday's Open Meeting will be aware that we have been > asked by the CSS Transport and Environment Committee to > effectively come up > with a number of 'wacky ideas' which might (say) help to relieve > congestion > in our towns & cities or make them safer/cheaper to run etc. This is based > on the fact that we are no longer building new roads so we need to make > better use of those we've already got. The hundreds of ideas (?) > we come up > with will be sifted by TCUG Committee before passing a 'short' list on to > the Environment Committee later in the summer. > > To start off this process, here is a 'not so wacky' idea (actually in use > in one part of UK - Northern Ireland): > > 'Magic ambers' > The 'early start' sequence at signalled junctions, to provide > right turning > vehicles with priority, has some advantages over the (more widely used) > 'early-cut-off' sequence. 'Early starts' can reduce confusion for > pedestrians (one direction of traffic does not suddenly stop leaving the > other still running - as with 'early cut-offs'), and it can handle more > right turners per cycle (since vehicles can not only turn right during the > 'early start' stage, but also later during the intergreen following the > 'two-way running' stage). In some cases (depending on junction spacing & > cycle time) it can also fit in better with UTC coordination. > > But the 'early start' suffers from accident potential, due to uncertainty > for right turners on the change from 'early start' stage to 'two-way > running' stage. This safety problem has, in recent years, often been > relieved by the use of an 'indicative right turn arrow' during the 'early > start' stage, but despite this the technique is little used outside NW > England. The exception to this is Northern Ireland where (as I understand > it) they routinely add an extra AMBER signal specifically to address the > uncertainty issue - sited above the indicative green arrow and appearing > for 3 secs after the termination of the associated green arrow. The fact > that Northern Ireland have written such use of an amber (ie without an > associated red) into their own version of TSR&GD, would appear to be an > endorsement for the use of this technique - indeed they commonly refer to > the signal as 'Magic Amber'. > > Arguably the rest of the UK should have access to this facility and > furthermore (at some risk of delaying its use the odd decade!) it could > possibly be enhanced by the use of 'amber arrows' instead of > 'full ambers'. > So, for the avoidance of doubt, the 'Magic Amber' sequence I am suggesting > could be selectively trialled (outside NI) is: > > RED (direction 1), RED (direction 2) > RED (direction 1), RED/AMBER (direction 2 - using the > 'normal' amber) > RED (direction 1), FULL GREEN + RT ARROW (direction 2) > RED (direction 1), FULL GREEN + RT AMBER ARROW > (direction > 2 - using the 'magic' amber') > RED (direction 1), FULL GREEN (direction 2) > RED/AMBER (direction 1), FULL GREEN (direction 2) > FULL GREEN (direction 1), FULL GREEN (direction 2) > AMBER (direction 1), AMBER (direction 2 - using the 'normal' > amber) > > But I'm sure y'all can come up with much 'wackier' ideas than this! > > Mervyn > Leeds > 0113 2476750 > > > (Embedded image moved to file: pic09741.pcx) > > ________________________________________________________________________ > > The information in this email (and any attachment) may be for the > intended recipient only. If you know you are not the intended recipient, > please do not use or disclose the information in any way and please > delete this email (and any attachment) from your system. > > Service of legal documents is not accepted by email > ________________________________________________________________________ > > > > -- Binary/unsupported file stripped by Ecartis -- > -- Type: application/octet-stream > -- File: pic09741.pcx > > > ----------------------------------------------------------- > A message from the TCUG mailing list. For information about > the list visit //www.freelists.org/webpage/tcug > ----------------------------------------------------------- A message from the TCUG mailing list. For information about the list visit //www.freelists.org/webpage/tcug