Re: [Melb] French trams for the city's Paris end

[ross_thomson@my-deja.com]

There are locations in Melbourne where trams have priority at
intersections that is not just providing a right hand turn arrow to
clear cars in front of them.

In some wider streets such as Swanston St near Melbourne University the
trams have their own exclusive lanes. There are a number of cross roads
along this section of Swanston Street. The normal traffic light sequence
in peak periods is: 1) Green for through traffic in Swanston St, 2)
green for through traffic in cross St, 3) green for right hand turners
from Swanston St into cross St, then back to phase 1). Phase 1 is the
only phase which would normally allow trams to proceed as the right hand
turn lanes for cars are to the left of the tram lines which would cause
a conflict if trams and right hand turners proceeded together.

When a tram approaches the intersection during phase 2, instead of the
signals switching to phase 3 they instead trigger phase 2a which gives a
short green light for the tram only for a period of about 5 seconds.
Straight ahead vehicles and pedestrians are not permitted to go during
this phase. When the tram clears the intersection, the signals proceed
to phase 3 as per normal.

This type of priority occurs at many intersections where trams run on a
separate carriageway to the traffic and there are also right turn arrows
for the cars. Many of the intersections along Dandenong Road I think
also have this feature.

Ross Thomson


In article <GGDS5.1749$bg5.10058@news-server.bigpond.net.au>,
  "Daniel Bowen" <dbowen@custard.REMOVE.net.au> wrote:
>
> "Robert Lee" <robsl@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
> euCS5.40555$SF5.729189@ozemail.com.au">news:euCS5.40555$SF5.729189@ozemail.com.au...
> > >Are there any spots where the approach of a tram will actually
trigger
> the
> > >lights to turn red against traffic on a cross road (as opposed to
just a
> > >turning/service lane like on Burwood Hwy)?
> >
> > The answer is yes. Zurich has such a system throughout the centre of
the
> > city. The idea is to privilege tram passengers over motorists. I'm
not
> > certain, but I think the same is true on the St Denis line in Paris
and it
> > may well be the case on a number of the new French tramlines like
> > Montpellier and Strasbourg.
>
> I actually meant are there any spots in Melbourne. But thanks; there
are
> locations in Melbourne now such as St Kilda Road where trams
undoubtedly
> carry many more people than the cars on the road do, where this
technology
> could (and should) be used.
>
> Daniel
> --
> Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia
> dbowen@custard.REMOVE.net.au
> http://www.custard.net.au/bowen/daniel/
>
>


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