Pedestrian crossings

We are committed to providing safe, active transport connections for people to help reduce car use and encourage physical activity.

We are regularly contacted to assess a location for the installation of a pedestrian crossing.

However, there are several issues to consider to ensure the safety and needs of everyone who uses our roads and paths.

Points of consideration

Crossings are only required where there are attractions on both sides of the road with regular pedestrian traffic.
Such as between shops, between a school and a regularly used bus stop, or between a large recreational facility and a school.

The wider the road span, the greater the risk as cars will generally be travelling faster and there is more area for pedestrians to cross.
Cars in other lanes may block sight lines of a driver or pedestrian.

Roads, paths and nature strips are busy places, with:

Roads with light traffic are generally safe for those over 10 years to cross (always hold the hand of a child under 10 years when crossing a road).
Drivers who regularly pass a crossing with no pedestrians are likely to become ‘blind’ to it and may not slow down, increasing the risk of injury to pedestrians
Some pedestrians expect that motorists will stop for them when they step onto a crossing and may not look first, giving little chance for motorists to stop. In these instances having a pedestrian crossing also increases the risk of injury to pedestrians.

Crossings must be placed where a pedestrian can clearly see traffic approaching from both directions.
Drivers need to have enough time to see and react to pedestrians on the crossing, therefore not on bends or near crests in the road.

A crossing replaces up to 33 metres, or approximately six car spaces on each side of the road.
That’s potentially 12 parking spots lost.

Council’s Road Safety team provides education and raises awareness on safety issues for drivers, passengers, pedestrians and bicycle riders.