Farewell To The Little Green Man In Berlin

SAY goodbye to the traditional green man and red hand signals at pedestrian crossings in Berlin.

The city is ready to embark on a journey towards a more innovative and supposedly safer way to help pedestrians cross the road.

Don’t worry, the iconic Ampelmann, that friendly little traffic light figure, isn’t going anywhere, well, at least not entirely.

Instead, Berlin is introducing a new countdown traffic light system. But, as it turns out, this new system has left many residents and visitors scratching their heads in confusion.

Starting in 2024, pedestrians will witness a novel way to cross the road.

First, a green light will briefly illuminate, signalling their turn to step off the curb.

But here’s where it gets intriguing: following the green light, pedestrians will see a stack of five white bars.

The magic happens as these bars gradually diminish, resembling a countdown timer.

The fewer bars left, the less time pedestrians have to cross safely.

Eventually, the last bar will disappear, and red will replace the green, signalling the return of traffic.

Berlin’s attempt to improve pedestrian safety with this new countdown system is a noble endeavour.

However, it has left many confused and even baffled.