Pedestrian Crossings
There are two types of pedestrian crossings in use in
Bedford.
A Zebra crossing and a light controlled crossing of which there
are four kinds:- a Pelican, a Puffin, a Toucan and
an Equestrian (sometimes called a Pegasus Crossing).
The familiar black and white stripes on the road were introduced
to Great Britain in 1949 as an addition to the orange globe on a
pole which had been around since 1935 the first of the light
controlled crossings (The Pelican) was introduced in 1969
How to use a Zebra Crossing
- At the crossing, stop at the kerb
- Wait for the traffic to stop
- When the traffic has stopped
- Walk across but keep looking and listening all around in case a
driver has not seen the crossing and tries to overtake a car, which
has stopped. Always cross on the stripes, as many accidents happen
close to zebra crossings.
- If there is an island
- If the crossing has an island in the middle of it, stop there
and wait for the traffic on the other side of the island to stop
before you continue to cross.
How to use a Pelican Crossing
- At the crossing , stop at the kerb
- Press the button and wait for the 'green man' signal to light
up. Never cross while the red man is showing.
- When the Green Man shows
- Check that vehicles are stopping, then walk across, keep
looking all around and listening in case a driver has not seen the
crossing and does not stop.
- When the Green Man starts to flash on and off
- The traffic will soon start moving, stay on the pavement. If
you have already started to cross, you will have time to finish
crossing.
- If it is a staggered crossing
- There will be another signal on the traffic island. Stop and
press the signal button to
get the 'Green Man' again before crossing the second part of the
road.
Puffin Crossings
A puffin crossing is similar to a pelican crossing, but it has
the 'red/green man' signals on the near side rather than the other
side of the road. This encourages pedestrians to look at the
approaching traffic.
It uses infra-red detection to identify when a person is waiting
and also to extend the green man period for people who cannot cross
as quickly as others.
If someone presses the button and then walks away, the system
detects this and reverts priority to traffic so as not to cause
undue delays.
How to use a Puffin Crossing
- At the crossing , stop at the kerb
- Press the button and wait for the 'green man' signal to light
up. The infra-red detection will pick you up and by pressing the
button will register a demand.
- Do not start to cross if the Red Man is showing
- When the 'Green Man' shows and you are sure that the traffic is
stopping, go straight across, looking and listening. If the
crossing is staggered treat each half as a separate crossing.
- The signals will stay red for drivers
- Until you get safely across, keep looking all around and
listening in case a driver doesn't stop
Toucan Crossing
The Toucan Crossing is a shared signal
controlled crossing to assist both pedestrians and cyclists to
cross the road.
Pedestrians can use the crossing at the same time as cyclists
riding their bikes.
Crossing time is monitored by detectors and varies to ensure time
is given for both pedestrians and cyclists to cross, before
allowing traffic to move.
How to use a Toucan Crossing
- Stop at the crossing
- When you see the red man and cycle signal you must not cross as
traffic is being given a green light. Press the button on the box
and wait for the green man and green cycle to appear.
- Do not start to cross if the Red Man is showing
- When the green signal for pedestrians and cyclists appears the
traffic will be given a red light. Check the traffic has stopped
then cross, keep looking all around and listening in case a driver
has not seen the crossing and does not stop.
- When the Green Man and Green Cycle lights go out
If you have already started to cross, and the
green man and cycle signal go out, keep going, as you will have
enough time to complete your crossing before the traffic starts to
move
Equestrian Crossing
The Equestrian Crossing is a shared signal controlled
crossing to assist both pedestrians and horse riders to
cross the road.
Pedestrians can use the crossing at the same time as horse
riders.
Crossing time is monitored by detectors and varies to ensure time
is given for both pedestrians and horse riders to cross,
before allowing traffic to move.
For all light controlled crossings
Tactile Cone
To assist blind or partially sighted
pedestrians a tactile cone is fitted underneath the push button
box. This rotates when the green man is illuminated letting the
pedestrian know when to start crossing.
Tactile Paving
Tactile paving is installed at all controlled
pedestrian crossings and is red in colour. The knobbly surface lets
people who are blind or who have partial sight locate the crossing
and tells them where the carriageway edge is at the dropped
kerb.
If you feel that you have identified a
location that would benefit from a pedestrian crossing please click
on the link below to see more details Assess for Pedestrian Crossing (opens
in a new window)
Bedford Borough Council Road Safety
Team
(01234)
228336
Email road.safety@bedford.gov.uk