Spurtle reader 'Paul at Fountainbridge' is concerned by the low priority given to pedestrians at road crossings around the city centre.
He says they are ranked bottom after first trams and then other traffic.
To get some idea of the problem, he has been filming many of the crossings in action, and noting down how long it can take to get from one side to the other.
Closest to Broughton among his findings, he notes that on a good day without any trams, obeying all traffic signals, it takes 2 minutes 35 seconds to cross York Place at Elder Street – a distance of about 22 metres.
If there is a tram present, the pedestrian lights are held for as long as the tram is on York Place – even when it's stationary at the tram stop.
The following clips are not exactly rivetting, but they do make the point. The second one is at 4x speed and has a darkly pertinent soundtrack.
2-minute crossing, obeying all traffic lights (no trams anywhere) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CNDnBvuMUg
4 minutes 46 seconds when a tram is at the stop — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OeXgxnGHmU
In an ideal world, all pedestrians would wait patiently and admire the clouds. But in reality, pedestrians get bored or frustrated and often foolishly prefer to risk life and limb by cutting between moving vehicles instead. A more sensible compromise is clearly required.
'Paul at Fountainbridge' has now contacted his City Centre councillors requesting that appropriate adjustments be made soon.
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Rhona Stewart Cameron Never mind the time you spend at crossings what idiot decided to put crossings immediately after roundabouts and junctions. Was it the same idiot who decided to put bus stops immediately before traffic lights (top of The Mound) effectively causing the back up of traffic and narrowing the road at its narrowest part to start with. Moving the bus stop in Inverleith Row along to Royston Terrace where cars are pulling out blindly into Inverleith Row when buses are at the stop. Accidents waiting to happen all over the city because of these stupid decisions. Who are these people who come up with these dangerous ideas?
Euan MacGuzzi McGlynn You have to be Usain Bolt to get across them, and I want to cross all of the road not just half.