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Time to cross the road!

Summary

3 July 2012

How long does it take to cross the road? This is not a joke, it's a serious question. And in the Netherlands they think they've found the answer. However, with a growing population of over 60s, some say the system needs to change to allow more time for everyone to cross safely.

Reporter:

Anna Holligan

Report

Anna: At this busy crossing near the centre of town and just outside a hospital, you've got around 20 seconds to make it across the road.

Hillie: My name is Hillie Talens, and I work as a project manager for CROW. 

Anna: So you're in control of all this, all these roads basically?

Hillie: In the end road authorities and other people use our guidelines to make the Netherlands more beautiful and sustainable, etc.

Anna: We're standing at some lights now, they've just turned green.

Hillie: So we start walking and we can walk with a speed of 0.8 metres per second and reach the other side, so not so fast.

Anna: Not so fast. We're walking at quite a leisurely pace… but it's flashing already.

Hillie: So what?

Anna: So we're only half way across the road.

Hillie: But they don't drive, they don't try to kill us. So we're here, it's red, we're here, they're still not driving!

Anna: But it's not enough time for everyone. And it's not just the elderly who are having problems getting across on time.

Joella: My name is Joella, I'm not walking slow, but sometimes it's going so fast, especially when I'm with my baby girl, I have a daughter, then I'm going to run because it's scared, yeah!

Anna: So would the authorities be willing to give the pedestrians more time?

Hillie: We could consider this but you can imagine how much time we will lose just by making some people feel more safe. It's just about feelings. 

Anna: So the cost to changing the system would be the whole country would slow down?

Hillie: Yeah, if you look at a huge scale maybe the whole country will slow down.

Anna: So the drivers will just have to be patient.