DELAYS AT PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS. 1. SITE OBSERVATIONS AND THE INTERPRETATION OF DATA

Abstract

This paper is the first in a series of articles about a major study of delays at pedestrian crossing facilities - zebra crossings, and fixed-time and vehicle actuated pelicans. A nationwide survey of flow and delays at 74 zebra and pelican crossings in the UK has been completed and the data relating to 215000 vehicles and 75000 pedestrians analysed. Subject to the reservations about comparisons between crossing types, the main features of the results from the site surveys were: (i) pedestrian mean delay was lowest at zebra crossings; (ii) whilst the difference between vehicle mean delay at zebra and pelican crossings was small, the pelican had significant advantages in controlling pedestrian occupation of the crossing; and (iii) the use of vehicle detection at pelican crossings had no significant effect on either pedestrian or vehicle mean delay. The development and application of simulation models of zebra and pelican crossings will be described in further papers. (TRRL)