Importance of controlled crossings

16 Pages·2017·1.86 MB·English

The importance of
controlled crossings
for people with sight loss
Recommendations for best practice
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Foreword
They want to be active members of society,
getting out and about and doing all of
the things I have mentioned and more.
But visual impairment brings with it some
specific challenges when travelling from
A to B and especially in built environments
where principles of inclusive design have
been overlooked. There are many obstacles
facing people with little or no sight when
they are out and about but one of the
most stressful aspects of their journey is the
point at which they have to cross the road.
They want to be certain that it is safe for
them to cross, particularly at a time when
vehicles are becoming increasingly quiet.
This guidance document outlines simple
measures that councils and others can take
to reduce stress and anxiety amongst the
most vulnerable pedestrians. Not only do
The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic pedestrian crossings make life easier for
Games were rightly acknowledged around people who are blind or partially sighted,
the world as being the most inclusive but they benefit older people, children and
Games ever. Athletes and visitors were not in fact anyone who needs to get from one
only able to get around all of the venues side of the road to the other. The provision of
without difficulty, but their journeys to and pedestrian crossings installed in the optimum
from events were stress free thanks to superb location with well-laid tactile paving is a key
planning which began considering the component of a truly inclusive environment
needs of everyone well before London’s bid and will contribute to the independence,
to host the Games was submitted. Put simply, health and wellbeing of all citizens.
inclusive design from the outset removes
Lord Holmes of Richmond MBE
the need to make costly adjustments down
the line and ensures that all citizens are
able to participate in community life.
Whether going to work, taking the children
to school, shopping, visiting friends,
engaging in sport or sight-seeing there is
usually a journey involved. This may be as
a driver or as a passenger but at least part
of the journey will usually be undertaken as
a pedestrian. And because of the nature
of our towns and cities, that will inevitably
mean having to cross a road at some point.
People who are blind or partially sighted
have the same aspirations as anyone else.
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Introduction
Why this guidance?
This guidance has been produced in Some may view such advice as being
response to research commissioned by confusing – seemingly highlighting the
Guide Dogs into the experiences of blind impact of pedestrian controlled crossings
and partially sighted pedestrians when on traffic flow but also acknowledging the
crossing roads. Anecdotally, we were importance of providing better crossings if
already aware of concerns expressed people are to be encouraged to undertake
by people who are blind or partially more journeys on foot. Whatever the reasons
sighted about the removal of controlled behind the trend, there seems to be a shift in
crossings within the street environment and recent years towards the installation of more
particularly as part of regeneration schemes informal crossings and the replacement
adopting the shared space concept. or removal of signalised crossings.
‘Manual for Streets 2’ states that, Most pedestrian controlled crossings that
are removed are replaced with inform al
“r eplacing controlled crossings
crossings which are much more difficult
i.e. zebras and signalised with informal
for people who are blind or partially
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crossings can reduce delays in traffic.”
sighted to locate and use. Whilst the exact
The Traffic Advisory Leaflet ‘Pedestrian scale of the problem is not known, this
Facilities at Signal-controlled Junctions’ practice, coupled with the findings of two
(TAL 5/05 Part 1) argues that, separate pieces of research commissioned
by Guide Dogs further reiterates the
“o f all the options, (the full pedestrian stage
concerns that we have around the failure
of a controlled crossing at all arms of a
of local authorities to consistently provide
junction) has the worst effect on junction
inclusive environments for all road users.
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capacity.”
Inclusive environments are essential if
Although where crossings are provided,
those with sight loss are to be able to
TAL 5/05 also flags up the importance
get around safely, independently and
of making them inclusive,
with confidence. This is why we have
produced this guidance, complete with
“T he initial justification for signal control may
recommendations to encourage all those
still be a vehicular one but all road users
across the United Kingdom with an interest in
must be taken fully into account when
the built environment to consider the needs
the design is taken forward. There has
of people with sight loss when planning
been over the years a greater emphasis
or regenerating our towns and cities.
on encouraging walking and cycling. The
provision of better crossing facilities is an
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essential part of this.”
1 Page 5, paragraph 9.3.6.
2 Page 3
3 Page 2
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Importance of pedestrian The evidence base
crossings – what we know underlining the importance
of controlled crossings
The first piece of research that Guide Dogs The investigative study revealed a paucity of
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commissioned was an investigative study existing research regarding the importance
which highlighted the importance of road of road crossings for people who are
crossings for blind and partially sighted blind or partially sighted. It also showed
pedestrians. It drew clear conclusions as that whilst many do not understand the
to the reliance they place on different differences between the various types of
types of crossing and how pedestrian pedestrian controlled crossings (Toucan,
crossings assist those with sight loss in Pelican, Puffin), pedestrians with sight
navigating the external environment. loss rely on them enormously, particularly
in highly trafficked areas. In shared
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Separate qualitative research also found
surface areas, it was observed that the
that crossings are a vital part of orientation
removal of controlled crossings and the
and mobility for pedestrians with sight
kerb caused difficulties. The qualitative
loss. Many respondents would travel a
research showed that pedestrian controlled
further distance in order to be able to
crossings gave the respondents more
use a controlled crossing because they
confidence when crossing roads.
felt safer. For some, crossing without a
controlled crossing was not an option. It also showed that shared space was
disliked. Some of the most enthusiastic
Manual for Streets (2007) had already
advocates of shared space schemes
recognised this stating that,
originally explained that priority in such
“S ignalised crossings are preferred by blind schemes is negotiated through eye contact
or partially sighted people.”6 between the motorist and pedestrian.
Research subsequently found no significant
Manual for Streets 2 (2010) reinforced
evidence of this phenomenon.
this, acknowledging that,
An investigation commissioned by the
“O lder people and people with a visual
Department for Transport acknowledged
impairment may express a preference for
that whilst some drivers and pedestrians
signalised crossings as they provide greater
may infer things about the intentions of
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certainty when crossing.”
each other, “There is no convincing data
that eye contact is used predominantly
This reiterates how vital these types of
as a means of communication
crossings are for vulnerable road users.
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between drivers and pedestrians.”
They should be integral to the design of an
inclusive environment so that all road users
But even if it is now acknowledged that
regardless of their abilities can make full
pedestrians and motorists are not found
use of it.
to habitually look into each other’s eyes,
sighted pedestrians will use their sight to
judge whether or not it is safe to cross
by observing the speed of a vehicle,
and other visual clues such as any
4 Matthews et al (2014) hand gestures given by the driver or the
5 McDonnell Spence (2014) car’s lights being flashed. Of course, by
6 Page 64, paragraph 6.3.9
definition such visual clues are of no use
7 Page 59, paragraph 9.3.12
8 MVA consultancy (2009) Page 36 to someone with significant sight loss.
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Key Policy and Legislation
Article 9 of the United Nations Convention independently including being able to
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities find and use pedestrian crossings.
requires state parties to take measures
The Equality Act (2010) and the Disability
“T o enable persons with disabilities to live Discrimination Act (1995) in N Ireland also
independently and participate fully in all protect the rights of disabled people.
aspects of life...” This legislation places a duty on public
authorities to have due regard to the need
The Convention goes on to spell out that,
to take steps to take account of people’s
“T hese measures, which shall include the disabilities even where that involves treating
identification and elimination of obstacles a disabled person more favourably than
and barriers to accessibility, shall apply to, others. In addition, Part 2 of the Traffic
inter alia: buildings, roads, transportation Management Act (2004) imposes a
and other indoor and outdoor facilities, duty on councils to secure expeditious
including schools, housing, medical facilities movement on their road networks.
and workplaces.”
All the above encourage or require the
It also sets out a disabled individual’s right provision of inclusive and accessible
to freedom of movement, independent features within the street environment
mobility and access to the public realm. for all users. By providing a pedestrian
People who are blind or partially sighted crossing where all road users are able to
should be able to orientate themselves in cross safely and independently a council
and navigate such places safely and would be seen to satisfy this duty.
What blind and partially
sighted people have said:
Zebra crossings
“Y ou’ve got no guarantee that anybody is
going to stop. You have to work so much
harder at zebra crossings, concentrating
on listening to what’s going on.”
“( How I feel?). Terrified! With a cane, I used
to call it Russian roulette!”
“I ’d rather use a zebra than just cross the
road, but they are not as good as a
pelican crossing.”
Controlled crossings
“( Make all zebras into pelicans…) I don’t
think that they are aware they have to
stop at a zebra. I really don’t think that
drivers think that they are breaking the law
if they don’t stop at a zebra, whereas they
know they have to stop at a red light.”
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What is a Formal crossings
pedestrian crossing? (controlled)
There are mainly two types – Pelican or Puffin crossings
Formal and informal crossings These types of crossings have distinct phases
during which pedestrians can safely cross
Formal crossings are
the road. The crossing phase is usually
“h ighly structured and provide a clear initiated by the pedestrian pressing a button.
position where pedestrians should be safe This changes the traffic light for vehicles to
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to cross” . red. There are different signals to inform a
pedestrian when it is safe for them to cross:
They also act as a facility provided to help
a visual signal - the most common one being
people cross a carriageway but where
a green man displayed; an audible signal
they have priority over motorised traffic.
given by a bleeping sound; and a tactile
Formal crossings can be sub-divided into
signal consisting of a rotating cone located
controlled and uncontrolled crossings.
on the underside of the control box which
spins when the pedestrian phase is active.
In addition, tactile paving (known as blister
paving which features raised dots across
the surface) is laid in an ‘L’ shaped pattern
to assist with locating the crossing point. The
blister paving stem (which should extend
across the full width of the pavement) will
be detected by a person with sight loss as
they approach the crossing enabling them
to turn and follow the stem to the control
box to initiate the pedestrian phase.
Pedestrians with sight loss prefer this type of
crossing to all the others because they can
instigate a red traffic light which requires
vehicles to stop, enabling them to cross.
Safe in the knowledge that the traffic is
stationary, pedestrians can concentrate
on getting to the other side of the road
(although they will still need to be aware
of the remote possibility that a driver
may not have noticed the red light).
The key difference between a Pelican
crossing and a Puffin is the latter is equipped
with sensors that detect if pedestrians are
still crossing the road and adjust the length
of the pedestrian phase accordingly.
9 Matthews et al (2014) Page 9
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Formal crossings
(uncontrolled)
Zebra crossings
These crossings have some aspects of Transport Scotland opposes the deployment
the physical appearance of a controlled of this type of crossing. In ‘Good Practice
crossing (for instance, tactile paving and for Roads’ they state, “Transport Scotland
zig-zag markings which prohibit parking) can no longer support the use of zebra
but they do not have a control box. The crossings because they are unsuitable
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crossing will have white and black stripes for visually impaired pedestrians”.
on the carriageway to indicate where
to cross over to the opposite side.
Informal crossings
This type of crossing is not so popular
Such crossings are not pedestrian controlled.
amongst people who are blind and partially
An informal crossing is a facility provided to
sighted because they would have to either
encourage people to cross a carriageway
pick up on visual clues given by the driver or
at particular spot considered by planners to
the car itself to be sure that the vehicle has
be a suitable place, but where pedestrians
stopped or listen to the traffic to determine
have no legal priority over motorised
whether it is safe to cross. It can be very
traffic. This type of crossing do not have
problematic in noisy surroundings to hear the
any control boxes and the tactile paving
sound of cars coming from either direction.
does not have a stem. They are used in the
Cyclists or electric vehicles approaching an
same way as zebra crossings and are the
uncontrolled crossing in noisy surroundings
least favoured by people with sight loss.
can be almost impossible to detect
and could pose a potential hazard.
10 Transport Scotland (2013) Page 12
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How do blind
and partially sighted
people use crossings?
The vital importance
of orientation and
mobility training
The training of blind and partially sighted
people in orientation and mobility is based
on making best use of three sensory On initialising the intention to cross by
perceptions – tactile, auditory and for those pressing the button, those who are totally
who have some residual sight, visual. People blind and cannot see the green man or
who are blind or partially sighted will ideally hear the audible bleeping sound can
use information obtained through all three use the rotating cone on the underside of
senses to determine where they are at a the control box, as recommended in ‘The
given time. Feeling safe enables them to Design of Pedestrian Crossings’ (LTN2/95)
venture out and about. People with sight and Transport Scotland’s ‘Roads for All:
loss have to build up a mental image of Good Practice Guide for Roads’. Once
an area to understand the environment the rotating cone starts to spin the blind or
they are entering and the position of and partially sighted person knows it is safe to
relationships between objects in the space cross. At the same time the green man and/
around them. Whilst predominantly taught or other visual signal will be displayed and
to walk in a straight line, they should an audible bleep sounds. If a crossing is in
follow the natural bends and curves close proximity to other crossings, then the
of the footway. In order to safely audible signal can be absent to prevent
cross a road, the safest technique is confusion as to precisely which road or
to walk directly from kerb to kerb. section of a crossing is safe to cross.11
This is why it is important that when crossings Those who have received mobility training
are installed, the opposite sides should be in will have learned to perform a straight
a straight line representing the shortest route line crossing, aiming for the blister paving
between the two sides of the road on the opposite side. This informs them
and normally at 90 degrees to each that they have either completed one
pavement to allow easy location of the section of the crossing or are safely on
opposite kerb. Diagonal lines of travel the pavement on the other side. People
are not used to cross a carriageway with sight loss are taught to never cross the
as this results in a longer journey across road if the pedestrian phase has started
the road and could easily disorientate before or as they reach the crossing.
a blind or partially sighted person. They wait for the next pedestrian phase
so they have enough time to orientate
People with sight loss are taught to locate
themselves and get across safely.
blister paving which extends across the
pavement, then to turn left or right to
follow the stem to the crossing point where
the control box should be located.
11 LTN 2/95 Page 4
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How crossings assist with mobility
within the street environment
Controlled crossings are found to be the For some people who are blind or partially
most reliable and least stressful crossings sighted it is the only type of crossing they
especially for those with less confidence and would use. For others, controlled crossings
those who have acquired sight loss in later also serve as a useful navigational
life. They form the vast majority of people landmark to determine their progress
registered as severely sight impaired (blind) on route to their destination even if they
or sight impaired (partially sighted) in the do not actually use the crossing.
UK today.
For those receiving formal orientation
Paraphrasing the Design Manual and mobility instruction, developing an
for Roads and Bridges (TD50/40), of understanding of traffic sequences at
Transport Scotland’s ‘Roads for All: Good junctions is achieved through the knowledge
Practice for Roads’ (2013) states that, of the pedestrian phase. This is particularly
important for children and young people
‘t actile paving, tactile rotating cones,
with sight loss who first need to understand
audible signals and dropped kerbs are all
the concept of traffic systems to learn safe
mobility aids designed to assist disabled
12 crossing times. This shows how valuable
people at the crossing’ .
controlled crossings are in relation to
orientation and navigation within the
street environment.
12 Transport Scotland (2013) Page 16
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Current designs within the street environment and their
impact on people who are blind or partially sighted
Pedestrian controlled crossings can be Many regeneration schemes have increased
viewed by some designers as barriers the width of pavements or removed them
to the smooth movement of vehicles, altogether to accommodate street cafes,
particularly in more modern street layouts. seating areas and more social space. This
(Manual for Streets 2). It can sometimes makes it even more difficult for people with
appear that concerns over vehicles sight loss to locate crossings. Uncontrolled
stopping for a period of time creating crossings which do not feature a stem
a backlog of traffic take precedence can be virtually impossible for blind and
over considerations of the safety and partially sighted people to locate in such
confidence of vulnerable pedestrians. environments, especially when physical
barriers prevent them from walking closer to
It is estimated that around a third of blind
the kerb in an effort to try and pick up the
and partially sighted people have an
tactile paving of such crossings under foot.
additional disability including those with
a hearing impairment. They depend on Some shared space schemes incorporate
tactile feedback from rotating cones that a lot of street furniture which in many cases
only pedestrian controlled crossings offer. is laid indiscriminately making it even more
difficult for people with sight loss to maintain
People with learning difficulties, young
a straight line of travel. This can sometimes
children and the older population can find
be much worse on one side of the road
vehicles very intimidating and so they also
than the other. Whilst the preference of
look to the reassurance of a controlled
people with sight loss would always be
crossing.There is a widespread perception
for an obstacle free pedestrian route, the
that in recent years councils have been
provision of easily identifiable controlled
removing or downgrading controlled
crossing points away from street clutter
crossings within high street and residential
would enable people who are blind or
areas by installing more uncontrolled
partially sighted to locate and choose to
or informal crossings in their place.
cross over to the other side if the opposite
side of a particular stretch of pavement is
less cluttered or easier for them to navigate.
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