Permanent red for cars: cities give pedestrians priority

Created: 04/12/2022 08:04

By: Marcus Efler

Constant green for pedestrians and driving for cars only when it has to be: after Karlsruhe, Hamburg is also reversing the principle of the push button traffic light.

Update from December 4, 2022, 8:04 a.m .:

As the second city after Karlsruhe, Hamburg is now also changing the principle of pedestrian traffic lights with a push button in the Eimsbüttel district.

"For the first time in Hamburg, the classic traffic light prioritization is being reversed," the Hanseatic city announced in a press release: "Pedestrians and cyclists are given priority at the Kaiser-Friedrich-Ufer/Bundesstraße intersection - and thus on an axis that is heavily frequented by both modes of transport.

Motor vehicle traffic, on the other hand, is given the green light if necessary.”

For the car lanes, on the other hand, the traffic lights show red continuously until a vehicle activates a thermal imaging camera - and thus requests green.

"The traffic light changes after a few seconds," the message says.

With increased car traffic, this should also be green for longer.

Permanent red for cars: cities give pedestrians priority

"We are primarily strengthening active mobility, which already plays a major role along the Kaiser-Friedrich-Ufer because many people go for walks and cycle here," explains Anjes Tjarks, Senator for Transport and Mobility Turnaround: "Moreover, here an important way to various large schools in Eimsbüttel.

He promises short waiting times for motor vehicle traffic.

A similar change in traffic light switching is planned for four other Hamburg intersections by 2024.

First report from November 23, 2021, 2:03 p.m.:

The principle has been learned for decades and is widely accepted: If you want to cross the street as a pedestrian, you first have to be active at many crossings by pressing a button to request green.

This can certainly have advantages.

Often, for example in schools, such “on-demand traffic lights” are programmed in such a way that they switch relatively quickly, stop the car traffic and let the green man light up in the pedestrian traffic light.

This is of course better for passers-by than waiting a long time for a green phase.

On the other hand, it can sometimes take quite a long time here too – for example if the car lane has just passed a red phase.

(Tesla "Full Self-Driving": Elon Musk's autopilot mistakes the moon for a yellow traffic light)

Permanent red for cars: This city gives priority to pedestrians

The city of Karlsruhe has now simply reversed this principle.

At two intersections in Kaiserallee and Knielinger Allee, traffic lights were programmed so that they are always green for pedestrians, but permanent red for drivers.

also read

Sidney Hoffmann Net Worth: How He Made So Much Money

Cyclists are not allowed to overtake: the new traffic sign surprises motorists

future concept?

Karlsruhe is testing permanent green for pedestrians and cyclists.

(Iconic image) © Ernst Weingartner/Imago

When a vehicle approaches, it is detected by radar sensors and induction loops.

The light signal for pedestrians changes to red, shortly afterwards the car is allowed to pass with green.

If several vehicles are on the road within a short time, the system switches to time control: pedestrians have priority for seven seconds, after which the cars are allowed to drive after a time buffer of 27 seconds.

(Tempo 30 in the city: the initiative is growing rapidly – ​​these cities are already there)

You can find even more exciting automotive topics in our free newsletter, which you can subscribe to right here.

Permanent red for cars: soon at many other intersections?

The pilot project is supervised by the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences.

If it proves itself - in other words: praise from pedestrians and cyclists, not too much gripe from drivers - the pedestrian-first principle could also be introduced at other intersections.

Of course, it may not seem all that new to many motorists.

Because traffic lights, which only turn green when they come into contact with an induction loop in the asphalt, have actually been part of everyday traffic for many years.

In most cases, however, the demand control affects little-used turning lanes, or it is activated at times with little traffic.

Karlsruhe can at least claim to have officially declared the priority of pedestrians over cars as a principle for the first time.