Green man could stay on longer for pedestrians in England

The greenish antheral could enactment connected longer astatine pedestrian crossings to springiness radical longer to transverse the roadworthy successful England.

Transport officials are considering a alteration that would mean radical person astir 7 alternatively than six seconds to transverse the emblematic road.

The guidance for section councils is meant to assistance radical with disabilities, and older people.

Campaigners welcomed the idea, saying millions of radical presently struggled to transverse erstwhile the greenish antheral was lit.

Current UK-wide guidance for postulation engineers assumes an mean walking velocity of 1.2 metres per 2nd - a fig archetypal calculated successful the 1950s.

It was updated successful 2013 to specify that councils could trim this to 1 metre per second, either connected a "site‑by‑site ground oregon arsenic an area‑wide policy".

Now Active Travel England (ATE), an enforcement bureau of the transport department, is considering adopting 1 metre per 2nd arsenic its modular proposal for councils successful England.

The alteration volition beryllium taxable to consultation from funny parties. If approved, it volition beryllium included successful caller proposal expected to beryllium issued to English councils earlier the extremity of the year.

Local authorities are successful complaint of postulation management, but Active Travel England factors successful adherence to its recommendations erstwhile allocating backing for schemes to boost walking and cycling.

Research published by University College London successful 2012 recovered that 76% of men and 85% of women had a walking velocity little than the 1.2 metres per 2nd standard.

The mean walking velocity for men was calculated arsenic 0.9 metres per second, and 0.8 metres per 2nd for women.

An ATE spokesperson said making crossing times "inclusive" was a large portion of its plans to boost the fig of radical making abbreviated journeys connected foot.

"Crossing times tin beryllium a challenge, peculiarly for aged and disabled people, and a atrocious acquisition is capable to enactment idiosyncratic disconnected doing it," they added.

Living Streets, a foundation that promotes mundane walking, called the proposals welcomed the proposal, saying it recognise walking speeds successful the UK's ageing population.

"Millions of older people, disabled radical and families with children conflict to transverse the roadworthy successful the clip given," added main enforcement Stephen Edwards.

"If radical don't consciousness harmless crossing the street, they simply won't marque the travel oregon volition marque it successful a little sustainable and little steadfast way," helium added.