More countdown crossings for city centre

Countdown signals have been installed on five more crossings in Plymouth city centre to improve pedestrian safety.

The signals reduce uncertainty about whether it is still safe to cross, by counting down the exact amount of time pedestrians have left before the lights change.

A green man still appears when it is safe to cross, followed by a countdown letting people know how long they have to clear the crossing before the red man appears and traffic starts moving again.

Councillor Mark Coker, Plymouth City Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “These signals help pedestrians know whether they have enough time to safely cross the road and have been very successful in London and other cities around the world. Plymouth was the second city in the UK to introduce countdown crossings and we’re sure many other areas will follow suit.”

The new signals have been installed on Charles Street (on the crossings near Primark and the entrance to the Drake Circus car park), Cobourg Street and North Hill (near the Gibbon Lane junction) by Amey, the Council’s highway maintenance contractor.

Countdown crossings were already in operation on Royal Parade and Western Approach (near the King Street junction).