PRO: Port Adelaide Tramline | $260m

[sacred_june]

PS now that i think about it why ar there no zebra crossings in adelaide? Every other city in the country seem to utilise them?

Because we have major traffic-lighted intersections with very little distance between to warrant zebra crossings as well.

My last comment was not referring to North Terrace only, but a more general statement.
Zebra crossings are common in many other cities around the country, or in their surrounding suburbs - ie: Ormond rd, Elwood.
I grew up in adelaide and can't think of one anywhere (besides in carparks) - however in Melourne they are everywhere, and they are so much better than traffic lights - and keeps drivers more aware too IMO

[Aidan]

I personally think that the number of lights on North Terrace is ridiculous.

It's not the number that's ridiculous, it's the lack of priority given to trams.

Melbourne CBD has trams running all over the place and generally the tram stops are placed just before a road intersection and have zebra crossings at the front and back of the stop to help pedestrians cross the road safely. Would something like this be feasible in Adelaide?

Probably not in the City, as the number of pedestrians using them would make them even more disruptive to traffic than the lights are.

PS now that i think about it why ar there no zebra crossings in adelaide? Every other city in the country seem to utilise them?

Our Department of Transport didn't think they were safe enough.

[sacred_june]

I personally think that the number of lights on North Terrace is ridiculous.

It's not the number that's ridiculous, it's the lack of priority given to trams.

Agreed. Funny though that if the trams had more priority the number of traffic lights could potentially drop - which seems like a good thing for drivers!

Melbourne CBD has trams running all over the place and generally the tram stops are placed just before a road intersection and have zebra crossings at the front and back of the stop to help pedestrians cross the road safely. Would something like this be feasible in Adelaide?

Probably not in the City, as the number of pedestrians using them would make them even more disruptive to traffic than the lights are.

I agree. How about the possibility, though, of using them to replace some of the traffic lights?

PS now that i think about it why ar there no zebra crossings in adelaide? Every other city in the country seem to utilise them?

Our Department of Transport didn't think they were safe enough.

So they're safe enough everywhere else but here? Seems ridiculous.

[rhino]

PS now that i think about it why ar there no zebra crossings in adelaide? Every other city in the country seem to utilise them?

Our Department of Transport didn't think they were safe enough.

So they're safe enough everywhere else but here? Seems ridiculous.

Could be because drivers everywhere else but here are safer drivers. That's my experience, in general.

[DM8]

Our Department of Transport didn't think ...

.... says it all really.

[Tyler_Durden]

Anyone know what is the next stage of Adelaide's tram expansion? And what is the timeframe?

[iTouch]

iTouchmyself believes that if the Port Adelaide Tram is completed, they will make a connection between Port Adelaide and Glenelg going through West Beach, Henley etc.
iTouchmyself also has a feeling that it'll be extended to Adelaide Oval

[skyliner]

iTouchmyself believes that if the Port Adelaide Tram is completed, they will make a connection between Port Adelaide and Glenelg going through West Beach, Henley etc.
iTouchmyself also has a feeling that it'll be extended to Adelaide Oval

I have that feeling also, but as a part of an extended line north. The Torrens walkway Bridge may put a stop to this idea - if ever constructed.

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

[Tyler_Durden]

iTouchmyself believes that if the Port Adelaide Tram is completed, they will make a connection between Port Adelaide and Glenelg going through West Beach, Henley etc.

No chance

iTouchmyself also has a feeling that it'll be extended to Adelaide Oval

More chance of happening than your first suggestion but still no chance of actually happening.

In case I didn't make myself clear I was specifically asking about already announced plans and what the next stage of development is.

[Aidan]

I personally think that the number of lights on North Terrace is ridiculous.

It's not the number that's ridiculous, it's the lack of priority given to trams.

Agreed. Funny though that if the trams had more priority the number of traffic lights could potentially drop - which seems like a good thing for drivers!

How would giving the trams more priority enable the number of traffic lights to drop?

Melbourne CBD has trams running all over the place and generally the tram stops are placed just before a road intersection and have zebra crossings at the front and back of the stop to help pedestrians cross the road safely. Would something like this be feasible in Adelaide?

Probably not in the City, as the number of pedestrians using them would make them even more disruptive to traffic than the lights are.

I agree. How about the possibility, though, of using them to replace some of the traffic lights?

I'm not sure what your purpose of repeating the question is. Do you think there would be an advantage to further disrupting traffic? Remember the trams would be disrupted just as much as the cars.

PS now that i think about it why ar there no zebra crossings in adelaide? Every other city in the country seem to utilise them?

Our Department of Transport didn't think they were safe enough.

So they're safe enough everywhere else but here? Seems ridiculous.

There's nothing ridiculous about having high standards, and their research did conclude that zebra crossings elsewhere were unsafe, even though those in charge elsewhere considered them a satisfactory solution.

There are two main problems with zebra crossings. The first is the risk of drivers ignoring them. A zebra crossing that only 99% of traffic obeys is far more dangerous than no crossing at all, as it gives pedestrians a false sense of security. The British addressed this problem with Belisha Beacons (which seem to give motorists the impression the crossing is more important) but these never really caught on in Australia.

The other problem is that giving constant priority to pedestrians is impractical. If the rules were strictly enforced, the entire City could quickly become gridlocked!

[AtD]

As I said, they're a common occurrence in most other Australian CBD's. It's Adelaide that's odd. SA is also the only state that doesn't put zebra crossings on left turn slip lanes to highlight the pedestrian's existing right of way.

This is the kind of set up sacred june was referring to:
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&sour ... 26,,0,4.03
It wouldn't work in Adelaide as we have centre platforms.

[jk1237]

zebra crossings are all over NZ, British and European cities and work well. Most people are aware that you dont walk out onto the road unless you look to see if the car is slowing down and knows your there. Zebra crossings calm the traffic so well, makes the city feel like a people's city, not a cars city like one we know full well, ahem ahem. It really shits me to see our CBD like this. Ok I can put up with it in the suburbs, but for a CBD to be so geared towards cars where drivers now forget to give way to pedestrians even when they have a green man at lights is just bad. They fly out of the multi storey carpark driveways with not even a thought that pedestrians will be walking on the footpath (and who have right of way). The SUV/4WD culture has made it worse too. Last Sun while eating the worlds best pie at the St Peters bakery, there was 20 vehicles in a row trying to park around the bakery, that were either 4WD or SUV. I know the mountains and dirt roads in St Peters are rough as, but to see 1 car in 20 that was a sedan in an inner suburb is just getting too much

[monotonehell]

zebra crossings are all over NZ, British and European cities and work well. Most people are aware that you dont walk out onto the road unless you look to see if the car is slowing down and knows your there. Zebra crossings calm the traffic so well, makes the city feel like a people's city, not a cars city like one we know full well, ahem ahem. It really shits me to see our CBD like this. Ok I can put up with it in the suburbs, but for a CBD to be so geared towards cars where drivers now forget to give way to pedestrians even when they have a green man at lights is just bad. They fly out of the multi storey carpark driveways with not even a thought that pedestrians will be walking on the footpath (and who have right of way). The SUV/4WD culture has made it worse too. Last Sun while eating the worlds best pie at the St Peters bakery, there was 20 vehicles in a row trying to park around the bakery, that were either 4WD or SUV. I know the mountains and dirt roads in St Peters are rough as, but to see 1 car in 20 that was a sedan in an inner suburb is just getting too much

I totally agree with Josh here. My comment above re the traffic lights being too close together already was in the context of the orginal proposal that zebra crossings be utilised with the tram down KWS. Yes there are other places in the CBD where zebra crossings could work. I've always had a pet love for the ideas of SharedSpace. That's taking it to an extreme.

[rhino]

zebra crossings are all over NZ, British and European cities and work well. Most people are aware that you dont walk out onto the road unless you look to see if the car is slowing down and knows your there. Zebra crossings calm the traffic so well, makes the city feel like a people's city, not a cars city like one we know full well, ahem ahem. It really shits me to see our CBD like this. Ok I can put up with it in the suburbs, but for a CBD to be so geared towards cars where drivers now forget to give way to pedestrians even when they have a green man at lights is just bad. They fly out of the multi storey carpark driveways with not even a thought that pedestrians will be walking on the footpath (and who have right of way).

+1. Agree totally.

[rhino]

iTouchmyself believes that if the Port Adelaide Tram is completed, they will make a connection between Port Adelaide and Glenelg going through West Beach, Henley etc.
iTouchmyself also has a feeling that it'll be extended to Adelaide Oval

Rhino believes that iTouchmyself is starting to sound a bit too much like Billy Ray Cyrus, referring to himself in the third person