Thursday 12 March 2009

Run don’t walk




















Pedestrians will soon be given less time to cross the road in London:

Under the new proposals, traffic lights would have a countdown system which tells walkers when the light will change and crossing time could be reduced by as much as six seconds.It is hoped that pedestrians will either speed up when they see that time is running out or wait at the kerb until the green man appears again.

It’s to make things easier for drivers:

The move is expected to help cope with increased traffic when the Mayor abolishes the western extension of the congestion zone next year. It is expected an extra 30,000 cars will enter the area. It is hoped pedestrians will either hurry as they see the time elapse or decide to wait before crossing.However, they will also face a longer wait at the kerb because the number of "green man" phases will decrease.

Making walking more difficult and encouraging people to drive – why, that’s just what we need on the day that scientists provided a dramatic new warning about climate change.