In SX Microcontrollers, SX/B Compiler and SX-Key Tool, George Herzog wrote:

No one has considered the pedestrian as a factor.  When I was living in San Francisco near the main north-south artery, 19th Avenue, I found that all the lights were timed to maximize the main artery and only giving up for cross traffic for short intervals.  

The problem is that a pedestrian was lucky to make it to the island in the middle of the road in one cycle.  For elderly, it was nearly impossible to cross the street.  These lights were synchronized in the 1960s to 25mph flow, but less and less cross traffic access is allowed.

I suppose there is an obvious conclusion.  All traffic control systems reach a limit a peak traffic densities where there is nothing to be gained.  And pedestrians will just have to burrow under or fly over in any efficient system.

I like downtowns and communities that actually ban significant portions of vehicle traffic as people tend to respond to the better ambiance.  It has been found that having computers limit the entry to freeways during peak periods gets everyone home faster than use of an unlimited entry system.  So now you sit at a red light on the on ramp and wait your turn.

I also would mandate disbursement of tall office buildings rather than concentration in one district.  San Francisco now is proposing a 300 floor building at the old East Bay Terminal.  It would be better to provide 6 50 floor building in suburbs that currently suffer a 2 hour commute into the city.

If we really got it right, there would be little need for traffic lights.

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