What is a crossing?

Cross_Man

Getting cross about this.

The Highway Code gives jolly good guidance, rules even, on road markings and road signage.  It is always quite simple, plain, clear text or symbols in a narrow palette of colours. 

So, we know the following is a crossing:



And so is this:



Now, this week,. one of the crossings in the High Street has been "upgraded" to a "St George's Crossing in recognition of the Platinum Jubilee:




There was no local consultation on this.  I suppose, given it is in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee they must have asked Liz "Yo, tell us what you want, what you really, really want" and can only imagine she said "I tell you what I want, what I really, really want, I wanna, wanna pic of St George"

So, this is not like anything I can find in the Highway Code and could well cause confusion and / or distraction.  I mean artwork is all well and good, but laid on the road is taking driver attention away from where it should be, and at a sensitive position where you have an increased number of pedestrians looking to use the same road-space as the vehicles.

What will happen to this artwork the first time a utility company has to dig the road up?  Their reinstatement crews are not artists.

The Councils did a similar thing nearby at the first lockdown, "upgraded" one of the crossings to a "Rainbow Crossing".  With a couple of years' wear and dirt it looks rather shabby and tired now.  At least simple straight lines in different colours can be easily painted back by utility workforce.

To cap it all, the local Council pre-election leaflet came through the door saying how great this wonderful thing is and it was superb that the "investment" of £160k was successfully secured for this ward and nowhere else.

Are these allowed?

Is this still a crossing?

Is this just the loop-hole for drivers to get around the rules?

Sandtree

Presumably this is the pelican crossing in which case pressing the button will still give a red light to traffic and the existence of some garish street art doesn't mean cars can ignore a red light

theoretica

Road markings similar to your first example are still there - the white dashes at the side.  The rest of the road isn't plan tarmac in between, but don't think that negates what is there.

Car_54

Agreed. So far as I recall, the regulations prescribe the size, position etc. of the lines on the road, but not the colour of the surface. 

If it was a zebra it would be a different matter. 

Cross_Man

Thank you everybody.

@Sandtree - yes this is a pelican crossing.

What happens the first time a utility digs up the road?  I guess that will ruin it!

Just hope that the Queen likes this amazing commemoration of her Platinum Jubilee, and that she pops by to see it before the utility companies dig the road up!  Obviously, important that she rests and recovers from COVID first.

Who would have thought that a crossing could be just any pattern whatsoever - I only ever saw the two crossings with something this different.  This one and the one done like a rainbow in first lockdown.

Should there have been consultation?

Sandtree

Cross_Man said:

Should there have been consultation?

So triple the cost by having a consultation?

Cross_Man

Well, it cost £160k so that would include include enough to put a notice up for comments!

NBLondon

These are not popular with organisations representing the disabled: https://www.transportforall.org.uk/campaign/colourful-crossings/

Cross_Man

Yes, they are very inconsistent to just have random graphics down on the road surface - no wonder some people get confused.

People have said that it can be anything in between the prescribed markings but is the Highway Code silent on what goes in between the markings because they want to encourage any weird design or because the people writing the Highway Code never thought that anyone would want to put odd designs down?

Road markings should be clear and unambiguous and I thought there has been cases where people had got out of offences because of simple things that deviate from the official signage, such as a box around a speed limit 

Car_54

Cross_Man said:

Yes, they are very inconsistent to just have random graphics down on the road surface - no wonder some people get confused.

People have said that it can be anything in between the prescribed markings but is the Highway Code silent on what goes in between the markings because they want to encourage any weird design or because the people writing the Highway Code never thought that anyone would want to put odd designs down?

Road markings should be clear and unambiguous and I thought there has been cases where people had got out of offences because of simple things that deviate from the official signage, such as a box around a speed limit 

We have at least a couple of these locally: one rainbow, and a "poppy" design opposite the Royal British Legion poppy factory. 

Whether it's a good use of taxpayers' money is debatable, but I can't see a major road safety issue. Any approaching motorist will should still see an advance sign, and then the red/amber/green lights. If he's dim enough to ignore (or not see) those, the splash of colour on the road is probably more effective than a 'normal' crossing.

Cross_Man

Car_54 said:

We have at least a couple of these locally: one rainbow, and a "poppy" design opposite the Royal British Legion poppy factory. 

Not far from me.

Did they all cost as much as they claim for this one?