Parents are worried

Is this the most unnecessary pedestrian traffic light in the country?

The pedestrian zone is signposted directly above the pedestrian lights. The former becomes superfluous, but the situation becomes dangerous.

(Bild: Molnar Attila)

Curiously, the pedestrian crossing zone in St. Pölten begins directly after the traffic lights. So nobody has to wait there for green. But parents also see this as a risk.

From a normal street to a pedestrian zone and now a shared zone: Linzer Straße in St. Pölten has undergone numerous transformations in recent months. But each variant had its problems.

Street, pedestrian zone
Initially, the street was too busy for the "Tangente" art festival. The pedestrian zone then not only affected cyclists, but the city buses that continued to roar through drove walkers back onto the sidewalks. The current variant has in turn produced what is probably the most unnecessary pedestrian traffic light in the country. Why?

A pedestrian zone allows equal use of the roadway and - unlike the former pedestrian zone - applies from the start of Linzer Straße. However, the traffic sign hangs on the same pole and therefore a few centimetres behind the pedestrian lights. This means that instead of waiting on red, you could cross the road right next to it at any time.

No plans for removal
The town hall is apparently not thinking about dismantling the traffic lights, but confirms the curious situation. "You are only allowed to cross the safety path when the light is green. Behind it, the pedestrian zone applies." What sounds rather funny in practice could well become a risk at the already confusing junction near the school.

"Drivers who are unfamiliar with the area don't expect to see pedestrians on the road immediately after a pedestrian crossing. The pedestrian zone should begin after Schneckgasse, just like the pedestrian zone before it," parents suggest.