This is such a surreal event id deserves a mention. First, traffic. The astra with the broken brake lights is legitimately in the ASL, as it had pulled forward during the green light; it did not drive out when the light turned and so was actually being thoughtful. The car in front had pulled out on green and is now stuck in the middle of the Cheltenham Road/Ashley Road junction. Which, as it doesn't have hatched lines, is acceptable. It will, sadly, block traffic coming out of Ashley road, and hence Picton Street. Whatever has happened up the A38 is propagating through the city. Neither vehicle is blocking the pedestrian crossing; they are all crossing on the green man. Very, very unusual.
Who are the people? That is the profound thing. These people are Tourists! Walking round the area taking photos of the walls. This group are making their way from Xen's birds on nine-tree-hill, and off to snap some of the work on Ashley Road. There was an escort at the front to keep them out of trouble.
Amusingly, if they had wandered away from their escort, further east, they would have actually met one of the artists, Kai, busy decorating the boards outside a shop to flat conversion going on on Lower Cheltenham Road. But that might be a bit too dark, a bit too edgy.
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Interesting story behind that 'all-green' phase for pedestrians (perhaps one of the earliest, at least round these parts).
Back around 1990 Avon County council were planning new traffic signals at this junction (to squeeze more traffic through), but in accordance with the practice of the time were ignoring pedestrians who would just have to take their chances (as at the Whiteladies Road / Tyndall's Park Road signals which also date from this era).
I was involved with some local activists at the time (trying to get Picton Street made into a home-zone I think - turned out to be a bit 'premature') and they wanted proper pedestrian phases included. So I drew up a phasing plan on the back of an envelope and submitted it.
They didn't adopt my proposal of course (NIH - Not Invented Here) but it did oblige them to respond with their own pedestrian phasing proposal which was the all-green we have today.
If you want to see a world class pedestrian all-green phase check this out - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHeMVh-Siz4
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