Pedestrian scramble

 Yesterday in Brisbane I saw a simple but successful example of this type of pedestrian crossing named pedestrian scramble. The basic difference from regular pedestrian crossings is that vehicle traffic is stopped in all directions so pedestrians can cross the intersection in every direction they want, including diagonally at the same time. This type of crossing is used mainly in areas with high pedestrian volumes like central business districts or main commercial areas. This traffic management scheme has two main objectives: To enhance pedestrian road safety by setting a clear pedestrian priority and to facilitate pedestrian mobility in general by allowing diagonal movement that some times is more desirable.

The picture above from Edward and Adelaide Streets intersection shows that most of the pedestrians cross the streets in a diagonal direction. The difference in Brisbane’s case from other examples like the famous one in Hachikō Square in Shibuya, Tokyo is that both Edward and Adelaide Streets are one way roads so the red light waiting time is shorter making the intersection work safer.

Even though traffic engineers and planners seem to disagree about whether pedestrian scramble is success or not as the different decisions of two major Canadian cities show with Vancouver adding them and Toronto ripping them off, I believe that they are a useful tool not to be underestimated. Pedestrian should always come first when setting mobility priorities. Not everyone is a car owner, a car driver or a car passenger but everyone is a pedestrian even for the slightest part of his trip.