Toucan crossing
A toucan crossing is the British term for a type of pedestrian crossing that also allows bicycles to be ridden across.[1] Since two can, both pedestrians and cyclists cross together, the name “toucan” was chosen.[2] In the United Kingdom, toucan crossings are normally four metres (13 feet) wide, instead of the 2.8 metre (9 feet) width of any pelican crossing or puffin crossing.
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There are two types of toucan crossing: on more recently installed ones, a “green bicycle” is displayed next to the “green man” when cyclists and pedestrians are permitted to cross. A red bicycle and red man are shown at other times; older crossings do not have a red bicycle – bicycles are permitted to cross at any time (if it is safe to do so).[3]
Unlike the pelican crossing, before the lights for vehicles go back to green, a steady red and amber are displayed, instead of the flashing amber. The pedestrian/cyclist signal lights may be on the near side of the crossing (like a puffin crossing), or on the opposite side of the road (like a pelican crossing). A related crossing type is the pegasus crossing for horse riders.[4]
References
- The Highway Code, Rule 80
- Traffic Engineering & Control. Printerhall. 2000.
- Cyclecraft. Allen & Unwin. 2011.
- "The Highway Code: Rules For Cyclists (59–82)". direct.gov.uk. 10 July 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- The History of British Roadsigns, Department for Transport, Second Edition, 1999