FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Dropped kerb – a section of lowered kerb at a crossing point that makes it easier for people to move onto and off the footway.
Pedestrian refuge – an island in the middle of the road where you can wait to cross in two stages.
Buildout – a widened pavement that enhances visibility and slows traffic down so drivers can see people waiting to cross.
Improved pedestrian safety, accessibility and convenience.
A ‘gateway’ feature to indicate the transition from a primary or secondary street to a local street or tertiary, signalling the need for drivers to behave differently in the new environment.
Ensure equal mobility and accessibility for all groups, including people with disabilities, children and older people.
There is a 20% chance of pedestrian fatality when hit at 30mph compared to a 2.5% chance at 20mph1
A 12% reduction in casualties in first year of 20mph limits in Brighton2.
21% lower injury odds for those who cycle following the introduction of 20mph limits alone3.
improving air quality
reducing noise pollution
improving health and wellbeing by encouraging more physical activity – walking, wheeling and cycling
communities feel safer.
Providing crossing facilities to help pedestrians cross the A35 on the most popular desire lines.
Reduce speeds by lowering limits in high pedestrianised areas
Junction enhancements to provide shorter crossing points and reduce speeds in/out of junctions.
Crossing Facilities FAQs
What’s the difference between an uncontrolled (informal) and controlled (formal) pedestrian crossing?
Uncontrolled crossings tend to include dropped kerbs and buff coloured tactile paving to facilitate easy movement and indicate the location and direction of where people are to cross. Typical informal crossings include:
Uncontrolled crossings can be introduced without any informal or formal consultation.
Controlled Crossing - these are normally located at sites where there are high volumes of traffic and pedestrians with red coloured tactile paving unless it’s located in a conservation area.
There are currently five types of controlled pedestrian crossings in the UK: Zebra, Pelican, Puffin, Toucan and Pegasus crossings.
They are all subject to a formal (statutory) consultation.
What is a Zebra crossing?
A Zebra crossing consists of a black and white striped carriageway, footway tactile paving and amber flashing roadside beacons.
They give pedestrians priority over vehicles but require people to step safely onto the crossing to initiate this.
Pedestrians must ensure motorists have seen them and come to a stop before crossing the road.
The absence of signal controls makes Zebra crossings unsuitable for locations with fast moving traffic, or where a constant flow of pedestrians is likely to cause excessive congestion.
What are Pelican and Puffin crossings?
Pelican and Puffin crossings provide a controlled safer system to cross a carriageway for pedestrians using signals to control the movement of motorised traffic.
These are for pedestrian use only.
Both crossing uses a pedestrian operated push button to stop the traffic and an illuminated red and green man is used to signal when pedestrians are to cross the road.
Both crossings include a tactile cone under the push button unit, which rotates when the green man symbol is lit and may include an audible signal (beeping sound) too which indicates when it’s safe to cross.
The Pelican crossing provides a set timed period for pedestrians crossing.
Pedestrians operate the crossing by pressing the button located on the signal pole adjacent to the tactile paving, then wait until the traffic stops and the green man is lit on the traffic pole on the opposite side of the road. before crossing.
The Puffin is an updated version of the Pelican as , it is fitted with a detector that automatically varies the crossing period to ensure itit’s that the crossing is clear before allowing vehicles to proceed.
The green/red man is located on the signal pole above the wait/push button and not on the opposite side of the road. This is to encourage pedestrians to look at the traffic as well as the lit red/green man.symbol.
All new pedestrian only signalised crossings will be Puffins crossing while and existing Pelican crossings will be phased out with new Puffin equipment.
What is a Toucan crossing?
Toucan crossings are designed for both pedestrians and people who cycle to use together without the need for them to dismount.
These are basically the same as a Puffin crossing, however they are wider and include a red and green illuminated cycle symbol as well as the red and green man.
What is Side Road Entry Treatment (SRET)?
Side road entry treatment is where the carriageway is raised to the same level as the footway in the sideroad, creating a raised table with ramps either side for vehicles to enter/exit the side road.
The raised carriageway aims to slow traffic entering the side road and aids pedestrians to cross the side road,, especially the elderly, wheelchair users and those using pushchairs.
What are the benefits of Side Road Entry Treatments?
These not only provide a convenient level place to cross side roads for pedestrians walking along the main road, but also includes the following benefits:
20mph FAQs
Do slower speeds cause congestion and pollution?
Imperial College London's research into the impact of 20mph speed limits suggest they have no net negative impact on exhaust emissions.
The research shows that in 20mph zones vehicles move more smoothly than in 30mph zones, with fewer accelerations and decelerations than in 30mph zones. This smoother driving style reduces emissions from tyre and brake wear.
Does driving at lower speeds use more fuel?
Fuel consumption is mainly influenced by the way we drive. Driving at a consistent speed is better than stopping and starting. Accelerating up to 30mph can take twice as much energy as accelerating to 20mph.
In a 2017 study by NICE 7 on air pollution, it was found that ‘ensuring motorists drive steadily at the optimum speed can help reduce stop-go driving and improve fuel consumption.’
How do 20mph limits/zones help promote active travel and what are the benefits?
Slower speeds create a nicer, more pleasant environment. Streets and neighbourhoods feel more inviting and the balance between different road users is more equitable, which in turn encourages people to walk, wheel and cycle, and reducing social isolation.
Reducing speeds to 20mph can lessen perceptions of road danger, something which disproportionally effects specific groups of people.
A Memorandum by Transport 2000 highlighted that the dominance of speeding traffic deters people from walking or cycling for short trips and leads to loss of independence for the most vulnerable in society, particularly older people, the disabled and children.
National and international Studies have shown 20mph schemes help encourage active travel by increasing walking and cycling levels. Which contributes to reducing carbon emissions and social isolation with improved health benefits.
Walking and cycling can make a very positive contribution to improving health by tackling obesity, accessibility and tackling congestion while reducing carbon emissions and enhancing the local environment.
Will journey times, including those for buses and taxis, increase?
Due to current average speeds, it is unlikely the lowering of speed limits from 30mph to 20mph will change existing journey times during the day.
During off-peak periods, including overnight, some people may experience a slight increase in journey times, however research into the impacts of 20mph by Steer Davies Gleave suggests introducing 20mph speed limits has a negligible impact on journey times, given that overall journey times are largely dictated by junction delays and not vehicle speeds.
How will I know which roads are 20 mph?
Each road will be clearly signed at the start of the 20mph speed limit, with upright 20mph static signs and 20mph roundels (road markings).
The 20mph road markings will also be repeated throughout the zone.
There may also be proposed 20mph flashing Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) to remind drivers to keep to the new lower speed limit if required.
How does lower speeds improve road safety?
It’s been proven that by reducing vehicle speeds, the likelihood of a collision occurring and its severity is significantly reduced.
Collision data from around the world shows the faster a vehicle is travelling the more likely a collision will occur because the driver has less time to react, stop or avoid the collision, thus resulting in more severe injuries.
TFL shows that since 20mph limits were introduced on key roads in London in 2020, the number of overall collisions reduced by 25%.
Collisions involving vulnerable road users decreased by 36% and those involving people walking decreased by 63%, while collisions resulting in death or serious injury reduced by 25%.
What other benefits do 20mph limits provide?
As well as road safety benefits, there are also positive environmental and health advantages in reducing vehicle speeds to 20mph, including:
Reducing traffic speed helps make people feel more confident on their local streets and enables children and the elderly to travel independently and safely.
Calmer road speeds also help make walking and cycling more attractive options, leading to less traffic congestion, better health, less noise, more social interaction and stronger communities.
Safer Roads Fund
What is the Safer Roads Fund?
The Government has assigned £47.5 million as part of the Safer Roads Fund investment to improve road safety within the UK at 27 different sites located between Newcastle and the Isle of Wight.
This is the third round of investment.
Further information about the Safer Roads Fund can be found here:
What has BCP Council been awarded?
BCP Council has been allocated £1,890,625 from the Safer Roads Fund pot by the Department for Transport (DfT) to reduce the risk and severity of collisions along the A35 between Iford Roundabout and St Paul’s Roundabout in Bournemouth.
This section of the A35 was selected by the DfT and Road Safety Organisation following their analysis of multiple roads within the UK.
How were the proposals selected?
To obtain the funding, BCP Council followed a rigid bid process put in place by the DfT and Road Safety Organisation which included using their software to select features aimed at reducing collision severity and placing them along the route to establish a predicted reduction in severity of future collisions.
Typical features proposed as part of the bid included:
The funding has been allocated specifically for reducing the severity of collisions along the A35 between Iford Roundabout and St Pauls roundabout.
What is the Bournemouth Town's Fund?
The Bournemouth Town's Fund, Better Boscombe Regeneration Programme(External link) is a funding scheme launched by the Government for towns to improve their economy.
Bournemouth has secured almost £22million as part of the ‘Town Deal’(External link) to turbo charge ambitious regeneration plans for Boscombe, creating opportunities for residents and businesses alike, whilst protecting the town's unique heritage and character.
A small section of the fund has been allocated to highways for improving accessibility for people traveling within the area.