Potential new zebra crossing design delivers 80% of the safety benefits with 5% of the costs
Side Road Zebras, common throughout Europe car parks and UK supermarkets, are being trialled in Westminster - story 72
While cycling through Westminster last week, I stopped at what I initially took to be a zebra crossing.
It wasn’t—at least, not in the traditional sense.
There were no flashing orange globes, no familiar Belisha Beacons. What I had encountered was something that could be increasingly common across Britain: a “side road zebra.”
It took several road trips through France and beyond to understand these simpler zebra crossings were the norm across Europe. Recently I realised they were common in the UK, too - supermarket car parks usually have several.
Why should Tescos keep all the good ideas?
For the last eight years trials have been underway across the country for this alternative zebra crossing. The latest is in Westminster, London. The case for this new design is compelling - it delivers 80% of the safety benefit for 5% of the cost.
Improving the overall experience of walking is critical to changing the way Londoners move around the city. Pedestrians need to feel safe. They need to know they can easily move across roads, main and secondary. Zebra crossings play a vital role in making this possible
But they are expensive. The Side Road Zebra could be a cost-effective way of implementing more of them. Might we see one by Essex House on Station Road?
This edition of the Streets Ahead podcast features the Cabinet Member for Streets for Westminster City Council, Max O'Sullivan. Listen to the part where he describes the location for one of the trials. Top trolling.
Chris Boardman, the former Olympic cyclist and current National Active Travel Commissioner, provides useful historical context at the end of the podcast.