Planning and Designing Pedestrian Crossings

Following factors have bearing on the choice of pedestrian crossing's type:

• Difficulty in crossing
• Pedestrians' volume
• Vehicle delays during peak periods
• Carriageway capacity
• Cost (including maintenance)
• Vehicles' speed

General Requirements

• Crossings should be located away from conflict points at uncontrolled junctions. This will give drivers an adequate opportunity to appreciate the existence of a crossing and to brake safely.
• Crossing should be located where users should feel safe and should not feel intimidated by motorised traffic. The speed of approaching vehicles should be taken into account.
• Where safety considerations permit, crossing points should also coincide with desire lines. This is particularly important in identified local routes such as school routes or access to parks etc.
• Crossings on a minor road should not be sited very close to a ‘Give Way’ or ‘Stop’ line. Generally, the nearer the crossing is to the major road, the greater will be the distance to be crossed. Drivers of vehicles turning into the minor road need time to judge the situation and space in which to stop.
• When crossings are needed on the approaches to a roundabout, special care is needed in the siting. The use of different types of facility at the same junction is not recommended as this could lead to confusion. Where a crossing must be provided within the junction layout, a Zebra crossing is preferred; it avoids any ambiguity to priority that a signal-controlled crossing can create for the driver approaching the roundabout ‘Give Way’ line. If a signal-controlled crossing is provided, it should preferably be of the staggered type to avoid excessive delays at the exit points blocking circulation. The pedestrian desire line, vehicle speed, visibility, pedestrian/vehicle flows, size of roundabout and length of crossing/road width should be considered when deciding the optimum location. Crossing away from the flared entries are preferred as the carriageway widths are less and the vehicular traffic movement are simpler. It may be necessary in urban areas, where large number of pedestrians are present, to provide guard rail or other means of deterring pedestrians to prevent indiscriminate crossing of the carriageway.
• The decision to use a signal-controlled crossing is often made because of the close proximity to a traffic signalled junction. Neither Zebra crossings nor refuges are suitable as there is conflict of control methods.
• If there is an existing school crossing within 100 metres then a mutually convenient site should be found to accommodate both the patrol and other pedestrians. It may be necessary to install a greater number of guard rail sections to achieve a suitability safe site.
• Pedestrians must be able to see and be seen by approaching traffic. Visibility should not be obscured or restricted by, for example, parked vehicles, trees or street furniture. If it is not possible to site the crossing elsewhere consideration must be given to either removing/re-siting the obstacle or, if the carriageway is sufficiently wide, to building out the kerb like to provide enhanced sight lines.
• The minimum width for pedestrian crossing is 2.4 metres. Where pedestrian flows over 600 per hour are encountered wider crossing should be used.
• Many accidents at pedestrian crossings occur on the approach to the crossing. The provision of guard railing at such positions should be considered. Guard railing may also provide useful guidance for blind and partially sighted pedestrians.
• Crossing should be installed so that adjacent drainage collects surface water from the crossing area. Dropped kerbs must always be provided across the crossing width and the section of footway between the lowered kerb-line and the adjacent footway should be ramped with a slope having a desired gradient of 1 in 20 but not steeper than 1 in 12. Tactile paving should be installed across the dropped kerb and in a strip stretching back to the building line.
• Both the carriageway and footway crossing areas should be free of surface obstructions.
• It is recommended that high skid resistance surface be provided on the carriageway approaches to pedestrian crossing.
• The needs of disabled pedestrians should be considered when designing the layout of crossings. The ramped section, leading to the crossing and the immediate approaches, should be indicated by contrasting coloured tactile surfaces. At signal-controlled crossings audible signals or bleepers in the form of a pulsed tone and / or tactile signals (small cones mounted beneath the push button box which rotate when the steady green figure is shown) are normally used during the green figure or ‘invitation to cross’ period. The signals are intended for the benefit of blind or partially sighted pedestrians although they can also be helpful to others.
• It should be remembered that pedestrian crossings are often used at night as well as during the day. It is necessary to ensure that the crossing can readily be seen against the background of other lights and signs.
• Where a signal controlled crossing is sited on a road where the speed limit or 85th percentile speed on any approach is 50 mph or greater (or where a zebra crossing is sited on a road where the speed limit on any approach is 30 mph), advance warning signs should always be used.
• Adequate clearance is required between the kerb edge and the closest part of any street furniture. A minimum of 0.5 metre is recommended.

Pedestrian Refuge Islands

Refuge islands are a relatively inexpensive method of improving crossing facilities for pedestrians.

Where these are to be provided, it is essential they are large enough. An absolute minimum of 1.2 metre width is needed but the standing for pedestrians must be sufficient for the location.

The carriageway width at the crossing should be sufficient to prevent vehicles passing too close to the refuge or the footway as this can be intimidating for pedestrians. If the refuge island is not on a straight stretch of carriageway, the width either side of the refuge may need to be greater.

If a refuge is to be on the approach to a junction, the existence and extent of the average vehicle queue should be recorded. Queuing vehicles can block access to a refuge resulting in the pedestrian having the choice of either crossing through the queue or away from the refuge. The positioning of the refuge is therefore important.

Zebra Crossing

Where a crossing is thought necessary but crossing flows are relatively low and traffic flows are no more than moderate, then a Zebra crossing may be suitable. Pedestrians establish precedence by stepping onto the crossing and so delays to them are minimal.

The likely effect of installing a Zebra crossing can be tested by checking the availability of sufficient gaps in the traffic flow. Where gaps are few and waiting times long because people feel it may be hazardous to establish precedence, a Zebra crossing is likely to be unsuitable. Higher flows of pedestrians will cause substantial delay to vehicles and a Zebra crossing is less likely to be a satisfactory choice.

Where traffic speeds are higher than 30 mph, people will require longer gaps in the traffic flow or be exposed to the risk of more serious injury if precedence is not conceded for any reason. Zebra crossing should not be installed on roads with an 85th percentile speed of 35 mph or above.

Signal Controlled Crossing

Signal controlled crossings are used where:

• Vehicle speeds are high and other options are unsuitable. There is normally a greater than average proportion of elderly or disabled persons.
• Vehicles flows are very high, and pedestrians have difficulty in asserting precedence.
• There is a specific need for a crossing for cyclists.
• Pedestrians could be confused by the traffic management measures such as a contra-flow bus lane.
• There is a need to link with adjacent controlled junctions or crossings.
• Pedestrian flows are high and delays to vehicular traffic would otherwise be excessive.

Types of Signal Controlled Crossings

PELICAN CROSSINGS

The Pelican Crossing uses far-side pedestrian signal heads and a flashing amber/flashing green crossing period, of a fixed duration, which is demanded solely by push button.

PUFFIN CROSSING

Puffin crossings use near-side pedestrian signal heads and an extendable all-red crossing period which is instigated by a push button request accompanied by a pedestrian detector demand. It is intended that the Puffin operational cycle will become the standard form of pedestrian crossing at stand-alone crossings and junctions.

TOUCAN CROSSINGS

A Toucan crossing is an unsegregated signal-controlled crossing for pedestrians and cyclists, linking cycle track and footway systems on opposite sides of a carriageway.

The Toucan Crossing has the same form of vehicular detection as the Pelican and Puffin crossings and normally the same form of pedestrian on-crossing detector as the Puffin crossing. It is intended to develop kerb-side detectors.