Street and city
Safe crossing
cornerin front of a schoolbus stopplazaavenue
A place marked and designed for people to cross the street with priority over vehicles.
What it solves
It shortens the exposure of those crossing and forces drivers to see them and brake. It is where many pedestrians are hit, so its design saves lives.
Today
Provide frequent crossings, shorten the distance with curb extensions and refuge islands, and raise the crossing to sidewalk level to calm traffic. Clear the sight lines at corners.
Common mistake
Forcing people to walk hundreds of meters to a pedestrian bridge, which pushes them to cross unprotected.
Tomorrow
Mid-street refuge islands and longer crossing times let slow walkers cross. In front of schools the crossing can be raised to sidewalk level so cars slow down.
Fact In urban areas at-grade crossings every 80 to 100 m, at least 3 m wide, are recommended.
Where it comes from
- 1Rome Pompeii, 1st century
Large stepping stones made it possible to cross the street without stepping in water and mud, with space between them for cart wheels. - 2United Kingdom Slough, 1951
The first zebra crossing with black and white stripes was installed.
Appears in the routes
See also
Also in Street and city
Diagrams and texts by LDB Arquitectura. They are shared under the CC BY 4.0 license, which allows them to be used and adapted with credit to the source.