Pelican, puffin and toucan crossings are three types of independent signal-controlled pedestrian crossings, which are used throughout the UK. There are also formal pedestrian crossing facilities at many signal-controlled junctions. The City of Edinburgh Council has been proactive in implementing an action plan to reduce the vehicle green time at all its independent signal-controlled pedestrian crossings, to ensure a minimal delay to the pedestrians using them. This paper presents the simple mathematical analysis conducted to assess the average pedestrian delays and the total delay to pedestrians at specific examples of pedestrian crossings of all three types and signal-controlled junctions. It was found that pelican, puffin, and toucan crossings can be set to reduce pedestrian delays considerably, compared with the delays at exclusive signalled junction crossings, during peak periods. Short cycle times play a significant part in these settings. Such provision is useful for local authorities that give a higher priority to pedestrians and cyclists, and a lower priority to motorised traffic, in an urban environment. The best peak performer is the 'walk with traffic' pedestrian crossing arrangement at a two-stage T junction.
Abstract