Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs) are good, and places should do them...
But exclusive ped phases (widely found here in Eastern MA, rare elsewhere AFAIK) are true all-ages signal ops.
Why don't we talk more about them?
When i worked in DC, we had maybe 5 intersections with an exclusive ped phase districtwide.
Now I have five within walking distance of my house.
Disproportionately funky grid geometry plays a role, but so does path dependence. They're common here because they've just always been common here.
@bikepedantic The majority of people cross without the light in the locations nearest me with exclusive ped phasing. Since exclusive ped phases generally need to be at minimums, I do think that certain crossings would get much more time when running concurrent with a leading phase.
@bikepedantic those are two kind of separate ideas there xD
@andr_w @bikepedantic that’s why concurrent protected is the best phasing strategy ! Best of both worlds (:
@bikepedantic because of that one TRB paper somewhere that said they didn't work and/or slow traffic despite mounds of evidence to the contrary, probably
@DrTCombs it's always that one paper
@bikepedantic published in some obscure committee that was disbanded in 1983
@bikepedantic We've been asking for it here on dozens of intersections with repeat near misses and have gotten absolutely nowhere. For the usual reasons.
@DrTCombs @bikepedantic These are painful exchanges to read from the high horse. Here, the lead intervals are advised to not use and stick to isolated ped signal phases. Is it really the engineers in the trb talking or is it the political climate withholding them to speak their mind?
@DrTCombs Committee on Efficiency and Lethality Tradeoffs
@bikepedantic
If it were up to me, the signal would default to exclusive ped, would only cycle if a car arrived on the sensor, and then not green longer than some time limit or no more cars on that sensor.
@bikepedantic first one I saw was in SF, allowed for diagonal pedestrian crossings.
@bikepedantic 💯 My kid was able to start walking to school on her own at 10, despite crossing Mass Ave, but we only were comfortable with that because it was an exclusive ped phase.
@Cambikelanes Fresh Pond/Mass Ave is like 80% less terrifying to cross than it would be with a conventional concurrent ped base with LPI. Such an eye opener.
@bikepedantic The Barnes Dance / #AllWayWalk signal in #Portland at the back door of Powell's bookstore is brilliant. We need way more intersections like that in downtown, on the way to making it car-free. And all they have to do is reprogram the existing signals, hang some signs.
@bikepedantic not just eastern MA, it’s the default across the state. Totally unique (probably because our roads aren’t crazy wide so they don’t hurt operations too badly)
@bikepedantic I’m a big fan of LPIs on recall and an exclusive Ped phase when called. This is what Montreal does at most of their signals, and it’s pretty unique.
@sofio @bikepedantic I felt like Montreal lights sequences very rarely put cars/pedestrians in conflict. No Right-On-Red a big part of this.
There are just some intersections where an additional 30 seconds of delay in my walking trip is more than paid back by the complete absence of drivers moving anywhere near me or my kid.