Saving energy

We in Birmingham are expert in the art of installation of all kinds of controlled crossings, be they pedestrian or otherwise, because we have so many of them. I would like to say that they mushroom, but that analogy would not be suitable given that mushrooms appear within a few days, whereas our crossings take at best weeks if not months to complete.

It is, I suppose, because of the exposure to the ever-growing number of crossings, that a couple of thoughts have occurred to me. They seem so obvious that I am surprised nobody has promulgated them before. Maybe they have and I missed it, or maybe I have just got the wrong end of the stick because I'm not always right.

However, for what it's worth, here are my bright ideas.

Given that we are all being exalted to save energy, and reduce waste, thereby saving yet more energy:-

1) Why are pedestrian crossing traffic signals always on? I can understand the red and green men always being on so that pedestrians have no excuse for being run over, and the respective Local Authority's hands are nice and clean when the do! But I do not understand why the red/amber/green traffic signals are always on. The only one of these which is of importance to the driver is the red one. So why, during the long periods of traffic signal ’green’, are they simply not switched off. When a pedestrian presses the button to cross, the traffic signals can come on ‘green’ and cycle to amber and red as usual. After the period for the pedestrians to cross has expired, the traffic signals would cycle red and amber to green as usual, and after an agreed time, of say 1 minute, switch off completely. Thus for most of the night, if not, indeed, most of the day as well, the traffic signals would be off, thereby saving energy and cost. Simple.

Which brings me to my other point….

2) Why do pedestrian crossings have so many sets of traffic signals these days? Gone are the days when one set of three (red, amber, green) on each side of the road was deemed adequate. Now we, in Birmingham, (I can’t speak for other places), have not one or two or even three sets of signals, but FIVE on each side ie 10 per crossing – some on top of others!! Just think of the mouth-watering energy savings that are waiting to be had if we switched off these little babies for most of each day!

Actually there's a good argument to be made for having most ordinary traffic lights switched off except at certain (maybe rush hour) times. The amount of fuel wasted by vehicles sitting waiting at traffic lights on Sunday mornings; nights etc must be considerable and probably in direct proportion to the shortening in length of the drivers' patience while they sit looking at empty roads.