Zebras! Unicorns! And… Exercise Snacks?
Or, how something as simple as a side street crossing can unlock all kinds of travel and health benefits
“[The side road zebra crossing is] a rare unicorn… effective, popular and cheap. I would like all boroughs to engage with it.” – Cllr Max Sullivan, City of Westminster Cabinet Member for Streets
This week a return to active travel and the simple act of crossing a street.
At least, it should be simple.
You may have noticed in TR4: Street design, access and parking 1. b. of the latest proposed iteration of the NPPF a call for “continuous footways”.
No argument here although your local highway department might have something to say about tit.
Nevertheless, I note in the latest Urban Update missive from the Urban Design Group, a short article related to this very topic, investigating the rise and rise of the side-street zebra crossing. You may well have seen or even used one of these while out and about on your travels and they are definitely in the spirit of TR4 1. b.
However, these crossings aren’t actually lawful as they’re installed without the accompanying zig-zag lines and Belisha Beacons as required by the Traffic Signs Regulations.
BUT.
Despite the fact they’re “unlawful”, they are nevertheless having a positive impact on driver behaviour.
You see, it turns out that the changes to the Highway Code made in 2022 that states “drivers should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which, or from, you are turning…” are not in themselves enough to get drivers to give way.
An implied zebra crossing, on the other hand, even without all the additional clutter, is enough to significantly move the needle.
Who would have thought it? 🤷♀️
Westminster City Council have installed these crossings on 11 side streets and the results, as they say, speak for themselves.
According to Keith Firth, director of transport at Norman Rourke Pryme:
“On side roads without the crossings, drivers stopped for pedestrians about 30-40 per cent of the time. During the trial, this increased across all the trial sites to an average of more than 80 per cent.”
I’ll take it.
And the hope is that other London Boroughs will follow suit.
And given that these simplified, unofficial crossings “only” cost £20,000-£25,000 each to install and monitor in contrast to the £60,000-£120,000 per official, all-singing-all-dancing zebra crossings, clearly it’s a no-brainer.
As a pedestrian and a driver I fully endorse it given it’s at side roads where about half of collisions involving pedestrians are likely to occur. Let’s all do our bit, folks.
Of course, things in the capital are already leaning towards the side of active travellers, with the majority of streets in London being covered by a 20mph speed limit – for the rare occasions you can actually get up to that speed.
And who among us can forget the “frankly ludicrous… war on the motorist” that was being waged in Wales in the autumn of 2023 when 20mph limits were rolled out wholesale… and then in some cases rolled back in again, with the Urban Design Group warning us that:
“… revocation of 20mph limits or LTNs will lead to crashes, injuries and deaths. Councillors and their advisers who pursue such actions risk being held personally liable for the harm that ensues.”
I mean, if the 20mph limits in Wales are saving 100 lives a year, why would you revoke them? What number of deaths is society at large prepared to tolerate to save two minutes on a typical journey?
More than we might like as it turns out.
And don’t forget, research by Dr Catherine Purcell, University of Cardiff, showed that children are not as capable as adults at judging the speed and distance of oncoming traffic and may register a vehicle travelling towards them at over 20mph as not moving at all. Do we really have to keep putting the most vulnerable at risk because a driver might get mad? We do have a choice in this.
And informal zebra crossings, continuous footways and all the other good stuff are all part of that choice. So nice one, Westminster City Council!
Thank you for helping people stay safe while they’re getting about actively because, elsewhere in the news this week, another call for us to move more… 🚶♀️➡️
If we can make our towns and cities easier to get around with initiatives like the unofficial zebra crossings, there’s no reason why the vast majority of us couldn’t take an extra journey or two on foot.
An article in the Guardian points to the fact that “research finds minor changes in physical activity could hugely reduce [the] number of premature deaths.”
Ultimately it appears that “… up to 10% of all premature deaths might be prevented if everyone were to make small and realistic increases to their moderate-intensity physical activity of five minutes a day.”
That’s it. Five extra minutes of exercise and 30 minutes less sitting each day.
Five minutes. And you don’t even have to do that entire five minutes in one go. Exercise “snacks” are very much a thing.
In the grand scheme of things this isn’t a lot.
But the benefits could literally be life-changing.
As someone who fully subscribes to the “movement is medicine” mantra, this research is just further proof that consistent exercise is a real investment in your future. So whatever your local council can do to make streets safer to get out and about is well worth the money spent.
If you want to stay independent as long as possible, I’d suggest you get about and about on foot or by bike as much as you’re able. And if you won’t take it from me, perhaps this 96 year old lady called Jean can convince you!
If she can do it, I’m betting you probably can too. Go, Jean!
Question: Are there any unofficial zebra crossings near you? And if not, are you lobbying your highway authority to get them installed?
#zebracrossing #westminstercitycouncil #exercisesnacks #sideroadzebra #continuousfootways #nppf
… and if you liked it, don’t give it a second thought! Simply…