Toucan crossing

Toucan crossing, Vauxhall (2004)
Control panel, London (2011)

A toucan crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing found in the United Kingdom and also Palo Alto, California, Berkeley, California, Fort Collins, Colorado, Tucson, Arizona, and Salt Lake City, Utah in the US, that also allows bicycles to be ridden across.[1] Since two-can, both pedestrians and cyclists, cross together, the name "toucan" was chosen.

In the United Kingdom, toucan crossings are normally 4 metres (13 feet) wide, instead of the 2.8 metre (9 feet) width of a pelican crossing or puffin crossing. 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 ones do not have a red bicycle – bicycles are permitted to cross at any time (if it is safe to do so).[2]

Unlike the pelican crossing, before the lights for vehicles go back to green, a steady red and amber are displayed instead of a 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.

The toucan crossing often comes up as a multiple choice question on the DVSA car or motorcycle theory test. It is easily remembered by attributing the 'toucan' with 'two can' cross - pedestrians and cyclists.

References

  1. ↑ The Highway Code, Rule 80
  2. ↑ Cyclecraft, p199.
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