The Association of Transport Engineers, which includes experts in the field of traffic management, proposed the Russian Road Research Institute (ROSDORNII), subordinate to the Ministry of Transport, to amend the existing GOST and allow cars and pedestrians in the same traffic light phase to turn right together, regardless of traffic intensity at intersections. Kommersant.
Until April 2020, cars were prohibited from turning right at regulated intersections with pedestrians crossing the road. Then the norm was canceled in areas with low traffic intensity: where a maximum of 120 vehicles turn per hour and no more than 600 people pass. In addition, you need to have traffic light sections with a moon-white arrow before the turn.
The Association proposed to make these norms recommendatory. As explained in the GKU Directorate for Traffic Management (DODD) of St. Petersburg, now the traffic intensity in most of these sections is higher than those indicated in the exemptions, while citizens “massively ignore even separate phases” and switch to red lights.
The Moscow Traffic Management Center (TSODD) said that in many European countries, cars and pedestrians in the same traffic light phase can move together, because it speeds up the travel time. The organization supported the initiative of the association, provided that it does not have a negative impact on road safety. They noted that the issue is being worked out. The specialists’ idea was also supported by the Yekaterinburg Movement Organization Center.
However, the press service of ROSDORNII, which is developing GOST, did not support the initiative. They explained that “exceeding the value of vehicle intensity specified in the standard will reduce the interval between vehicles safe for pedestrians,” and “exceeding the intensity of pedestrian flow will make pedestrian traffic almost continuous and will not allow cars to pass through this intersection.” As a result, the abolition of the current norm will negatively affect traffic safety, the department summed up.
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