GB2290403A - A method of controlling traffic at a pedestrian crossing - Google Patents

Abstract

Traffic is controlled at a pedestrian crossing (13) by providing at least two adjacent lanes (10, 11 or 11, 12) for vehicles travelling in a given common direction and switching traffic flow from one of the lanes (11) to another (10 or 12) at intervals to allow pedestrians to cross the currently unused lane. In another embodiment, two lanes, are provided fortraffic in each direction. <IMAGE>

Description

A method of controlling traffic at a pedestrian crossing.

The present invention relates to a method for controlling traffic at a pedestrian crossing.

It is now usual for pedestrian crossing points on busy roads to be controlled by traffic lights which stop traffic flow along the road at intervals to allow pedestrians to cross.

Although such traffic light controlled crossings are effective in allowing pedestrians to cross a road at certain times, the consequential interruption to the flow of traffic along such a road often leads to serious traffic congestion, especially during periods of heavy traffic flow.

The problems caused by such congestion will be readily appreciated. The requirement for vehicles to stop at traffic lights controlling pedestrian crossings may also lead to a build-up of vehicle exhaust gases in the vicinity of the crossing and these gases may be harmful to the health both of pedestrians who are using the crossing and of other people nearby.

These problems may be solved by providing alternative types of crossing such as footbridges or underpasses which do not affect the traffic flow at crossings. However, many pedestrians are reluctant to use such facilities because to do so may involve walking a much greater distance than the width of the road and also using stairs which may be difficult for disabled or elderly pedestrians or those crossing with prams or pushchairs. Also, an underpass presents additional problems because many users regard them as providing a likely place for a criminal attack.

Against this background, it is an object of the present invention to provide a road-level pedestrian crossing which entails a minimum of interruption to traffic flow.

According to the invention, a method of controlling traffic at a pedestrian crossing comprises providing at least two adjacent lanes for vehicles travelling in the same direction in the region of the crossing and switching traffic flow from one said lane to another at intervals in order to allow pedestrians to cross the unused lane.

In one form of the invention, three lanes are provided in the region of the crossing. The direction of flow of traffic in the central lane may be changed according to the direction of flow expected to carry the most traffic i.e. a tidal flow system may be operated in the central lane.

Alternatively, the central lane may be made available to traffic from each direction in turn.

In a second form of the invention, two pairs of lanes are provided for traffic in the region of the crossing. Each pair of lanes carries traffic flow in a single direction.

Preferably the pedestrian crossing extending across each lane is offset from the crossing extending across an adjacent lane. This helps to ensure that pedestrians do not attempt to cross the whole road at once when there may be traffic moving in one or more lanes. As an additional safety-aid, the area between traffic lanes where pedestrians may wait to cross a lane of traffic may be largely or partly surrounded by a barrier such as a fence or a kerb.

Preferably the lanes delineated for traffic flow in a single direction are separated by means of markings on the road surface and/or by a physical barrier, such as a kerb. Such delineation should preferably be continued for at least 10 metres of the approach to the crossing.

Warning signs are preferably placed at the side of the road or between traffic lanes to warn motorists of the traffic system in operation ahead. Traffic signals to indicate the lane in use are preferably placed prominently at and before the position at which the lane change comes into operation. These signals may comprise conventional traffic lights which are set up to control traffic in each lane in a coordinated manner. Alternatively a different type of signal may be provided. Most preferably the signals which control traffic flow are operated in conjunction with signals which indicate to pedestrians when it is safe to cross.

The traffic signals and pedestrian signals may be physically connected or may communicate with each other by means of radio waves, infra-red beams or other means for remote communication.

Alternatively they may simply be arranged to operate in a timed sequence.

Preferably the crossing is located within a region of the road in which a relatively low speed limit is applied. In this way, accidents arising from a vehicle changing lanes suddenly at high speed may be avoided. A speed limit of a maximum of 30 miles per hour in the region of the crossing is preferred.

The invention will now be further described1 by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings which are: Fig.l, a schematic diagram of a plan view of one form of pedestrian crossing at which the traffic is controlled by a method according to the invention and Fig.2, an alternative form of pedestrian crossing where the traffic is controlled by a method according to the invention.

Fig.l shows a pedestrian crossing for a single-carriageway highway which has been widened to provide three lanes 10,11,12 in the region of the crossing 13. A tidal flow of traffic is operated through the three-lane section so that when traffic flow is expected to be heavier from direction A, lanes 11 and 12 are used for traffic flowing in that direction whilst lane 10 only carries traffic from direction B. If traffic is expected to be heavier from direction B at any time, then the direction of flow in the central lane may be reversed. Traffic signals 14,15 indicate which lanes are in use at a given time.

Road markings 27 or kerbs help to separate the traffic in adjacent lanes. Two reservations 16,17 are provided with fenced barriers 28 to separate pedestrians from the traffic. Traffic lights 18,19,20,21 control the flow of traffic along the road whilst pedestrian lights 22,23,24, indicate to pedestrians when they may cross a lane of traffic safely.

A sequence of operations for the crossing shown in Fig.l may be described as follows for the situation in which traffic may move from B to A along lane 10 only and from A to B using either lane 11 or lane 12, i.e. the tidal flow scheme makes lane 11 available only for traffic moving from A to B. In an initial state, lanes 10 and 11 carry moving traffic because traffic travelling from A is diverted into lane 11 rather than lane 12 by the signal 15. Thus, traffic lights 18 and 20 will show green, 19 and 21, red.

Pedestrian lights 22 and 23 will be in their "don't cross" condition. Because lane 12 is unused in this state, pedestrians may cross from location 26 to reservation 16 and vice versa and pedestrian signals 24 will indicate accordingly.

After a predetermined time, the pedestrian lights 24 will show that it is no longer safe to cross lane 12 and signal 15 will switch traffic from direction A to lane 12. In this second condition, when sufficient time has passed for vehicles remaining in lane 11 to pass the crossing, pedestrian lights 23 will indicate that pedestrians may cross lane 11. Traffic lights 21 therefore show green whilst lights 20 are red.

It is beneficial for the middle lane and an outside lane to be safe to cross at the same time so that pedestrians are kept waiting as little as possible. Therefore, ideally, traffic lights 18 will show red to stop the traffic travelling from B to A in lane 10 at the same time as lights 20 are red. Pedestrian lights 22 will then be in their "safe to cross" condition. In the above described second condition, therefore, pedestrians may cross from refuge 16 to position 25 and vice versa.

In the scheme shown, the arrangement of the crossing allows for pedestrians crossing in one direction to be separated from pedestrians crossing the other way to ease congestion on the crossing and to allow relatively narrow refuges to be used.

The sequence is summarised in Table 1, although the intermediate conditions in which certain traffic lights are on amber have been omitted for clarity. It will be noticed that traffic lights 19 show red in each of the conditions described because the tidal flow arrangement permits flow in lane 11 only from A to B. When tidal flow allows flow from B to A in lane 11 then the sequence described above is reversed. The relatively heavy traffic which is travelling from A to B is not required to stop at any time to allow pedestrians to cross although the lighter traffic travelling from B to A will be required to stop periodically.

The arrangement shown in Fig.l may also be used for non-tidal flow schemes, in which case the central lane 11 is made available to traffic from each direction in turn in a specified sequence, such as that shown in Table 2. If such an arrangement is to work in this manner then particular care must be taken to stage the switching of traffic from an outer lane to the central lane with sufficient delay to allow the central lane to be completely cleared before traffic travelling in a different direction is admitted.

Fig.2 illustrates a second crossing, which is controlled by a method according to the invention, in which four lanes 30-33 are provided for traffic in the region of the crossing.

Lanes 30,31 carry traffic travelling from B to A whilst lanes 32,33 carry traffic travelling in the opposite direction. Traffic lights 34-37 control the movement of vehicles whilst pedestrian crossing lights 40-42 indicate to pedestrians whether or not it is safe to cross a particular part of the road. Traffic signals 38 and 39 indicate to motorists which of two adjacent lanes they should drive in. The central lanes 31,32 may be separated by a physical barrier but such a barrier is not shown in this example.

One preferred sequence of operation of this crossing is shown in Table 3. Using this sequence, vehicles use the two centre lanes 31,32 when there are no pedestrians waiting to cross the road. In this condition the two outer lanes 30,33 are not used by vehicles and may be crossed by a pedestrian. Upon activation of the crossing by a pedestrian at location 43 or location 44 for example, the indicators 38,39 will direct the traffic into the appropriate alternative outer lane and traffic lights 34 and 37 will change from red to green whilst traffic lights 35 and 36 will change from green to red.

The two central lanes 31,32 may then be crossed by pedestrians and the pedestrian lights 41 will indicate accordingly. After a predetermined time the lights and signals 34-42 will revert to their original states as traffic is switched back to run in lanes 31 and 32 again leaving the two outer lanes available for pedestrians to complete their crossing of the road.

It will be apparent that in this form, the crossing arrangement allows pedestrians to cross the road safely whilst the traffic travelling in either direction is not required to stop at all when the correct time delays are applied to the traffic lights controlling the crossing.

The illustrated sequences are given only as examples of a method of controlling traffic at a pedestrian crossing according to the invention.

It may be the case in certain circumstances that the sequences shown should be changed to take account of the traffic conditions prevailing in a particular location at a particular time.

TABLE 1 - See Fig.l

Traffic lights Pedestrian lights Lane 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 10 11 12 don't don't || go go stop 1. green red green red cross cross cross don't 2. red red red green cross cross cross stop stop go TABLE 2 - See Fig.l

Traffic lights Pedestrian lights Lane 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 10 11 12 green red green red don't don't 1. green red green red dross cross cross o AB stoP don't don't 2. green red red green cross cross cross go stop go don't don't 3. red green red green cross go cross cross stop B#A go don't don't 4. green red red green go stop go cross cross cross TABLE 3 - See Fig.2

Traffic lights Pedestrian lights Lane 34 35 36 37 40 41 42 30 31 32 33 don't 1. red green green red cross cross cross stop go go stop 2. green red red green don't cross don't go stop stop go cross cross

Claims (11)

1. CLAIMS 1. A method of controlling traffic at a pedestrian crossing, comprising providing at least two adjacent lanes for vehicles travelling in the same direction in the region of the crossing and switching traffic flow from one said lane to another at intervals in order to allow pedestrians to cross the unused lane.
2. 2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, comprising providing three traffic lanes, the direction of flow of traffic in the central lane being changed to accommodate the traffic in the direction of heavier traffic flow.
3. 3. A method as claimed in Claim 1, comprising providing three traffic lanes and allowing traffic flow in the central lane in alternating directions in turn.
4. 4. A method as claimed in Claim 1, comprising providing two pairs of traffic lanes, each of which pairs carries traffic in a single direction.
5. 5. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the pedestrian crossing extending across each lane is offset from the crossing extending across an adjacent lane.
6. 6. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein an area between traffic lanes to accommodate waiting pedestrians is largely or partly surrounded by a barrier such as a fence or kerb.
7. 7. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein lanes delineated for traffic flow in a common direction are separated by markings on the road surface and/or by a physical barrier.
8. 8. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein traffic signals indicate which lanes are in use, and in which direction traffic may flow in each lane, at a given time.
9. 9. A method as claimed in Claim 8, wherein said traffic signals are operated in conjunction with further signals controlling pedestrian flow.
10. 10. A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the crossing is located in a region of a road subject to a 30 miles per hour speed limit.
11. 11. A method of controlling traffic at a pedestrian crossing, which method is substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig.

    1 or Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.