Zebra crossings

Description

Although legally described in NZ’s traffic legislation as a ‘pedestrian crossing’, a priority crossing featuring white striped bars running from kerb to kerb across the road is commonly known as a ‘zebra crossing’. An example of a zebra crossing is shown below.

Zebra crossing, Geraldine. (Photo: Ann-Marie Head)

When to use

Check whether a zebra crossing is a suitable treatment for your site by referring to the following guidance:

PNG: Crossing selection process

Benefits

• Gives pedestrians priority resulting in minimal delays for pedestrians.
• Are obvious as a place for pedestrians to cross.

Implications

• Unless on a platform, or without other measures like kerb extensions and median refuge, zebra crossings do not improve pedestrian safety or may even decrease it.
• High pedestrian flows can dominate and cause traffic delays.
• Can increase rear end crashes between vehicles, however these tend to be low severity.

Recommended parameters

• Primary Safe System treatment if operating speeds are below 30km/h. Supporting treatment if operating speeds above 30km/h[1].
• Posted speed of 50km/h or less (>50km/h posted speed requires approval from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency as per TCD Rule Clause 8.2(2)).
• Operating speed of 30km/h or less (lower approach speeds result in higher yielding by drivers).
• Maximum of one traffic lane in each direction to avoid traffic in adjacent lanes blocking visibility of people crossing or waiting to cross.
• Suitable for medium to high pedestrian demand so drivers are expecting pedestrians.
• Can be combined with kerb extensions and/or a refuge.

Zebra crossings can be combined with other elements including kerb extensions, and pedestrian refuges or installed on a platform when they are known as raised zebra crossings.

PNG: Kerb extensions

PNG: Pedestrian refuges

PNG: Raised zebra crossing

Guidance on the design of dual use crossings for pedestrians and cyclists can be found in the Cycling Network Guidance.

Cycling Network Guidance: Unsignalised crossings

Vehicle speed is a critical factor for whether drivers yield to pedestrians. As vehicle speeds increase, the percentage of drivers who yield to pedestrians at a priority crossing decreases dramatically as shown in the figure below. Hence raised zebra crossings are recommended to slow vehicles to safe system speeds.

Inverse relationship between the rate of drivers yielding to pedestrians and approach traffic speed. [2]

The following table highlights considerations for the location of zebra crossings.

Table: Location considerations for zebra crossings

Legal considerations

A driver approaching a pedestrian crossing must give way to pedestrians on the pedestrian crossing or obviously waiting to cross it and who are not behind a school patrol sign. Drivers are required to give way to pedestrians on both sides of all zebra crossings unless the crossing is divided by a raised traffic island (Road User Rule, 10.1).

Pedestrians must not suddenly enter a pedestrian crossing when an approaching vehicle is so close that the driver is unable to give way to the pedestrian (Road User Rule, 11.5).

Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004

There are many traffic control device requirements for zebra crossings (TCD Rule, 8.2). Key points include that:

• Approval from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is required to mark a pedestrian crossing on a road with a speed limit over 50km/h.
• A pedestrian crossing must be marked in reflectorised white, or if white does not contrast with the colour of the adjacent roadway then it must be resurfaced or marked to provide contrast.
• A pedestrian crossing must not exceed 15m across the road unless it is interrupted by a traffic island(s) to form multiple pedestrian crossings.
• Markings for a pedestrian crossing must be placed, as far as practicable, either at right angles to the middle line of the roadway or so as to provide the most convenient route for pedestrians.
• A pedestrian crossing must be placed so that it is visible to a driver approaching the crossing from any direction and the driver’s view of the entire length of the pedestrian crossing is unobstructed by any permanent growth (vegetation), construction or physical feature.
• Pedestrian crossings must be kept illuminated when street lights are operating.
• There are specific signs and marking requirements for zebra crossings (TCD Rule, 8.2(9-12).

Land Transport Rule: Traffic Control Devices 2004

Any crossing not meeting the requirements specified in the TCD Rule makes enforcement of road user obligations difficult by providing a technical defence to an errant user.

Design considerations

Flush medians must not be used to interrupt zebra crossings, but should be terminated either side of the crossing, with a pedestrian island installed in the centre, to divide the crossing into two stages.

Kerb ramps on the adjacent footpaths (installed to the standards in kerb ramps) provide access to zebra crossings.

PNG: Kerb ramp design

Although zebra crossings may be legally up to 15m long, none should be longer than 10m. Where a longer distance is likely, kerb extensions should be used to reduce the distance travelled in one crossing movement. If kerb extensions cannot be used, pedestrian refuges may be installed instead, noting this legally divides the crossing into two stages which can be problematic in terms of vehicles giving way.

PNG: Kerb extensions

PNG: Pedestrian refuges

Vehicles parked close to a zebra crossing can impact on a drivers’ sightlines making it difficult to see pedestrians waiting to cross[3]. Therefore, restricting parking through the use of kerb extensions and/or no stopping lines is important.

Cycling considerations

Cyclists using a zebra crossing should take care when crossing, given that the Road User Rule does not specifically require drivers to give way to cyclists riding across a zebra crossing. Riders may therefore prefer to dismount and walk their bicycle across the roadway. If significant numbers of cyclists are expected to use the zebra crossing, then a dual crossing should be installed.

Cycling Network Guidance: Dual crossings

On-road cycle lanes or separated cycleways across zebra crossings require careful treatment. Refer to Cycle lanes at pedestrian crossings for more information.

TCD Manual Part 5 – Cycle lanes at pedestrian crossings

Design elements

Typical layouts for zebra crossings are shown below.

Typical layout for pedestrian crossing (zebra) with kerb extensions. (Source: TCD Manual Part 5 Figure 7-10)

Typical layout for pedestrian crossing (zebra) with pedestrian refuge island in a flush median. (Source: TCD Manual Part 5 Figure 7-12)

The tables below outline the markings, signs and other design elements for zebra crossings. Further detail on the traffic control device elements is provided in:

TCD Manual Part 5 – Pedestrian crossings (zebra)

Table: Marking requirements for zebra crossings

Sufficient contrast should be provided between the crossing bars and the roadway. Therefore use of paving, such as shown in the photo below, or red or pink colouring between the white bars does not provide sufficient contrast.

Paved zebra crossing providing insufficient contrast of white bars. (Photo: Jeanette Ward)

Table: Signage requirements for zebra crossings

Table: Other design elements and considerations for zebra crossings

Use of red surfacing treatments

Some RCAs highlight the presence of a zebra crossing to drivers and riders using coloured surfacing. However, the use of red surfacing should only be used, or approved, by an RCA in a manner that compliments and enhances regulatory markings and signs.

When installing red surfacing it is important that sufficient contrast is provided between the crossing bars and the roadway for all road users. Visually impaired road users have reported that red and pink colouring between the white bars does not provide adequate contrast. Red coloured surfacing is permitted under the Land Transport Rule (Traffic Control Devices) provided it is not part of or visually integrated into an official road marking. Refer to the Roadway art guidance for further information.

Draft Handbook for Tactical Urbanism in Aotearoa - Roadway Art guidance

The result of this is that it is not recommended practice to apply red coloured surfacing immediately beneath the zebra crossing bar markings.

A recommended approach that meets the needs of all road users and aligns with the above legislation is to apply areas of red coloured surfacing on the vehicle approaches to zebra crossings as shown in the figures below with dimensions outlined in the following table.

Typical layout for zebra crossing with red surfacing treatment.

The recommended colour for red is R13 Signal Red, as set out in the P33 specifications with the layout dimensions outlined in the table below. The red surfacing must not encroach onto the no-stopping lines.

P33 Specification for coloured pavement surfacings

Table: Red surfacing treatment dimensions

Note that the dimensions of red surfacing treatments at raised zebra crossings are different.

PNG: Raised zebra crossings