Cars approach when pedestrians are, for example, halfway across. Readers say that, for this reason, the location has become dangerous. Teresa Grabowska-Chudy, deputy director for road infrastructure management at the Lower Silesian Roads and Railway Service in Wrocław, explains:
The program currently operating at the intersection has been in force since October 18, 2016. It was developed and implemented on site as the designer’s own correction to the project “Modernization of traffic lights, together with changes to traffic-light programs in Bolesławiec, divided into four tasks,” concerning this intersection. The correction to the traffic-light program received an opinion from DSDiK and approval from the authority managing traffic on provincial roads, namely the Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.
The rationale for the program changes and changes to traffic organization implemented during the “Modernization of traffic lights…” at four intersections in Bolesławiec (1000-lecia Avenue–Spółdzielcza Street along provincial road no. 363; Jeleniogórska–Podgórna along provincial road no. 297; Tamka–Grunwaldzka–S. Staszica and Tamka–T. Kościuszki along provincial road no. 297; Zgorzelecka–Wesoła along provincial road no. 297) resulted from an analysis of these intersections by an external company and the recommendations based on it. The primary argument necessitating changes to the traffic-light programs was that the previous programs did not comply with the applicable regulations.
With regard to the way the phase allowing pedestrians to cross the entrance to Chrobrego Street, from the railway station side, is implemented, I inform you that, according to the approved program, the green signal for this crossing lasts 10 seconds (6 seconds of steady signal and 4 seconds of flashing signal). During the same phase, vehicles leaving the underpass and turning right or left from Kościuszki Street are also permitted to move. Since this traffic stream is controlled by a general signal, a conflict with the pedestrian stream entering Chrobrego Street is permitted, which complies with the regulations (point 8.3.2, Annex 3 to the Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure of July 3, 2003, on detailed technical conditions for road signs and signals, road traffic safety devices, and the conditions for their placement on roads [...]).
At the same time, the safety condition was preserved whereby, after the green signal begins for both conflicting streams, the pedestrian stream reaches the conflict point first, and both ends of the crossing are clearly visible to vehicles exiting the underpass. In the situation described above, drivers are unconditionally required to yield to pedestrians crossing, even if the pedestrians encounter a red signal while crossing.
And she adds:
Given the very short period during which the new program has been in operation, DSDiK asks everyone to be patient, as with such significant interference in the control system, drivers and pedestrians need time to get used to the new solutions. A final verification of the intersection’s performance will be possible after several months of operation. DSDiK will monitor the situation at the intersection and, if necessary, take steps to improve its operation.
We will return to this subject.
