A pedestrian crossing or crosswalk is a designated point on a road at which some means are employed to assist pedestrians wishing to cross. They are designed to keep pedestrians together where they can be seen by motorists, and where they can cross most safely with the flow of vehicular traffic. Pedestrian crossings are often at intersections, but may also be at other points on busy roads that would otherwise be perilous to attempt to cross. They are common near schools or in other areas where there are a large number of children. Crosswalks can be considered a traffic calming technique. These are known as "Crosswalk Lights" or "Midblock Crossing Lights" where may cross at midblock, but must wait for the "WALK" signal. A road ascends a mountainside using hairpin bends in the French Alps. ... Look up Pedestrian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Driving is the controlled operation of a vehicle, usually a motor vehicle such as a truck, bus, motorcycle, or car (for bicycles and mounted animals and—at least in the U.K. and U.S.—motorcycles, the corresponding activity is called riding). ... Categories: Stub | Core issues in ethics | Firearm components | Safety | American football ... Vehicles are non-living means of transportation. ... Interstate 80, a freeway in California with many lanes and heavy traffic. ... In the field of road transport, a road junction is a place where two or more roads either meet or cross. ... Traffic calming is a set of strategies used by urban planners and traffic engineers which aim to slow down or reduce traffic, thereby improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists as well as improving the amenity of the street for residents and visitors. ...

Crossings may just consist of some markings on the pavement in low-traffic areas. However, in busier areas, they usually have special signals consisting of electric lamps or light-emitting diode (LED) panels. On some traffic signals, pressing a button is required to trigger the signal. These signals may be integrated into a regular traffic light arrangement or may be on their own if the crossing is not at an intersection. Audible or tactile signals may also be included to assist people who have poor sight. Sites with extremely high traffic (freeways or motorways) may instead use pedestrian bridges or tunnels. A variation on the bridge concept, often called a skyway or skywalk, is sometimes implemented in regions that experience inclement weather. Lightning strikes during a night-time thunderstorm. ... Lamp can be: A portable light fixture such as a table lamp or reading lamp (common usage) Lamp (electrical component), a replacable component that produces light, such as: Incandescent light bulb, also known as an incandescent lamp Fluorescent lamp Gas discharge lamp Arc lamp Signal lamp, a device used for... Blue, green and red LEDs. ... A small flat button Metal, plastic, and leather shank buttons. ... A stoplight in Mexico City. ... Sound is a disturbance of mechanical energy that propagates through matter as a wave. ... Tactition is the sense of pressure perception. ... Visual perception is one of the senses, consisting of the ability to detect light and interpret (see) it as the perception known as sight or naked eye vision. ... A log bridge in the French Alps near Vallorcine. ... A disused railway tunnel now converted to pedestrian and bicycle use, near Houyet, Belgium A tunnel is an underground passage. ... A skyway is a path that is traversed without touching the ground. ... Weather is a term that encompasses phenomena in the atmosphere of a planet. ...

Special markings are often made on the road surface, both to direct pedestrians and to prevent motorists from stopping vehicles in the way of foot traffic. There are many varieties of signal and marking layouts around the world and even within single countries. In the United States, there are many inconsistencies, although the variations are usually minor. There are several distinct types in the United Kingdom, each with their own name.

Pedestrian refuges or small islands in the middle of a street may be added when a street is very wide, as these crossings can be too long for some individuals to cross in one cycle. In places where there is very high pedestrian traffic, pedestrian scrambles (also known as Barnes Dances) may be used, which stop vehicular traffic in all directions at the same time. Another relatively widespread variation is the Curb (or kerb) extension (also known as a bulb-out) which narrows the width of the street and is used in combination with crosswalk markings. A refuge island, also known as a pedestrian refuge or pedestrian island, is a small section of pavement or sidewalk, completely surrounded by asphalt or other road materials, where pedestrians can stop before finishing crossing a road. ... A Barnes Dance in Tokyo. ... A curb extension marked by darkened tarmac and black posts A curb extension (or also kerb extension, bulb-out, curb bulge and blister) is a traffic calming measure, intended to slow the speed of traffic and increase driver awareness, particularly in built-up and residential neighbourhoods. ...

Crosswalk button in Paris

Download high resolution version (427x640, 59 KB)Crosswalk button in Paris Downloaded from : [[1]] Credits : Dennis Mojado File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (427x640, 59 KB)Crosswalk button in Paris Downloaded from : [[1]] Credits : Dennis Mojado File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Worldwide variations

Pedestrian crossings in the Commonwealth

In the United Kingdom, animal names are used to distinguish several types of such crossings: The Commonwealth of Nations (CN), usually known as the Commonwealth, is a voluntary association of 53 independent sovereign states, almost all of which are former colonies of the United Kingdom. ...

• Zebra crossing
• Pelican crossing
• Puffin crossing
• Toucan crossing
• Pegasus crossing (an equestrian crossing)

Belisha beacons are found at zebra crossings and coloured lights at all others. A zebra crossing in Sydney, Australia A zebra crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing used in the UK, Australia, USA and Europe, and increasingly around the world. ... Control panel at a pelican crossing A pelican crossing, (from Pelicon crossing: PEdestrian LIght CONtrolled crossing, a synonymous term) is a type of pedestrian crossing. ... Puffin control panel A puffin crossing (pedestrian user-friendly interface) is a type of pedestrian crossing in use in the United Kingdom. ... Toucan crossing A toucan crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing found in the UK that also allows bicycles to cross. ... A Pegasus Crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing in the United Kingdom which has a special consideration for horse riders. ... A young rider at a horse show in Australia. ... Top of a Belisha Beacon A Belisha Beacon is a flashing orange globe atop a tall black and white pole. ...

Belisha beacons are often used in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong to warn drivers of a crossing. The colored lights of the signal are red and green for Pedestrians and red, amber and green for motorists.

The film The Quiet Earth shows that in New Zealand, instead of "WALK/DONT WALK" signs, theirs say "CROSS/WAIT". The Quiet Earth is a 1981 science fiction novel (ISBN 0340265078) by New Zealand writer Craig Harrison. ...

Crosswalks in North America

Various styles of crosswalk markings, as listed by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration

A North American pedestrian signal with countdown timer

A North American intersection where pedestrian crossings are marked with zebra stripes

In the United States, crosswalks are usually marked with white stripes, though every municipality seems to have a slightly different method, style, or pattern for doing so (and the styles vary over time as intersections are built and replaced). There are two main methods for road markings in the United States. Most frequently, they are marked with two thick white lines running from one side of the road to the other. A shorter third line is usually also present, to be used as a stop point for vehicles and discourage drivers from pulling into the crosswalk. The more easily visible zebra stripes (like UK zebra crossings) are seeing increasing usage in place of the two-line variant. Image File history File links Crosswalk_styles. ... Image File history File links Crosswalk_styles. ... Image File history File links Countdownpedestriansignal. ... Image File history File links Countdownpedestriansignal. ... Download high resolution version (1000x661, 229 KB)San Jose, CA intersection overview from MLK Library in the early afternoon. ... Download high resolution version (1000x661, 229 KB)San Jose, CA intersection overview from MLK Library in the early afternoon. ... A municipality or general-purpose district (compare with: special-purpose district) is an administrative local area generally composed of a clearly defined territory and commonly referring to a city, town, or village government. ... A zebra crossing in Sydney, Australia A zebra crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing used in the UK, Australia, USA and Europe, and increasingly around the world. ...

Crosswalks are usually placed at traffic intersections or crossroads, but are occasionally used between intersections near schools or other popular pedestrian destination. In the United States, such crossings may be marked by signs such as "PED XING" (for "pedestrian crossing"), by flashing yellow lights, by stop signs, or by full traffic signals. At a crossing without a traffic signal, the vehicles must yield right-of-way to a pedestrian or bicyclist who has already entered the crosswalk. Traffic lights will sometimes differ where there are several lanes of traffic. ... Interstate 80, a freeway in California with many lanes and heavy traffic. ...

At crossings controlled by signals, the most common variety is arranged like this: At each end of a crosswalk, the poles which hold the traffic lights also have WALK and DONT WALK signs, usually lighted with white fluorescent argon tubes and red-orange neon tubes, respectively. Modern signals in the United States tend to feature an orange hand and a white pedestrian symbol instead of the WALK/DONT WALK signs. Additionally, LEDs have replaced the tubes in many modern installations. As a warning, the DONT WALK or hand signals may begin to blink when the transition to DONT WALK is imminent. On pedestrian signals displaying text, "DONT WALK" is spelled without an apostrophe. Prism splitting light Light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength that is visible to the eye (visible light) or, in a technical or scientific context, electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength [citation needed]. The elementary particle that defines light is the photon. ... Fluorescence induced by exposure to ultraviolet light in vials containing various sized cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots. ... General Name, Symbol, Number argon, Ar, 18 Chemical series noble gases Group, Period, Block 18, 3, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 39. ... TUBE (チューブ; chūbu) is a Japanese popular music group. ... Red may be any of a number of similar colors at the lowest frequencies of light discernible by the human eye. ... The colour orange occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum at a wavelength of about 585–620 nanometres. ... General Name, Symbol, Number neon, Ne, 10 Chemical series noble gases Group, Period, Block 18, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 20. ...

Crosswalks have also been adapted for the blind by adding two small loudspeakers at each corner, chirping when it is safe to cross east-west, and cuckooing for north-south. Salt Lake City has had these for years; other towns include Yakima, Washington, East Lansing, Michigan,Keyport, New Jersey, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Waynesville, North Carolina, and Redding, California, and they are becoming more widespread in Southern California. The speakers are not usually installed at every crosswalk in a city. ADAPT - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or psychological factors. ... Closeup of a loudspeaker driver Wall-mounted loudspeaker. ... A corner is the place where two walls meet at an acute angle, and is generally thought to be the least beneficial position to be in a life-or-death situation. ... A chirp is a signal in which the frequency increases (up-chirp) or decreases (down-chirp) with time. ... The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST, internally called HT-7U) is a project being undertaken to construct an experimental superconducting tokamak magnetic fusion energy reactor in Hefei, the capital city of Anhui Province, in eastern China. ... A compass rose with west highlighted This article refers to the cardinal direction; for other uses see West (disambiguation). ... Genera See text. ... Compass rose with north highlighted and at top North is one of the four cardinal directions, specifically the direction that, in Western culture, is treated as the primary direction: north is used (explicitly or implicitly) to define all other directions; the (visual) top edges of maps usually correspond to the... A compass rose with South highlighted South is most commonly a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Salt Lake Citys top tourist draw. ... City seal Yakima (IPA: ) is a city in central Washington and the county seat of Yakima County, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 71,845 and a metropolitan population of 229,094. ... Flag Seal Location Location in Michigan Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Michigan Ingham & Clinton Counties Mayor Samir Singh Geographical characteristics Area     City 11. ... Map of Keyport in Monmouth County Keyport is a Borough located in Monmouth County, New Jersey. ... Green Bay is the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. ... Location in North Carolina Country United States State North Carolina County Haywood County Incorporated 1871 Mayor Henry Foy Area    - City 20. ... Redding from space, April 1994 Redding is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA, located on the Sacramento River and on Interstate 5 south of Shasta Lake. ... Southern California Downtown Los Angeles Skyline Southern California, sometimes abbreviated SoCal or colloquially, the Southland, is an informal name for the megalopolis and nearby desert that occupies the southern-most quarter of the U.S. state of California. ...

Some pedestrian signals integrate a countdown timer, showing how many seconds are remaining until the vehicular traffic will be allowed to proceed through the crosswalk. Some also incorporate a button on the near side to allow a pedestrian to notify the system that a pedestrian is waiting for a WALK signal, which may or may not produce the desired signal more quickly -- although some systems for busy roadways will increase motor traffic flow by not producing a WALK signal at all unless such a button is pushed.

Pedestrian buttons are most commonly used on actuated traffic signals, where a traffic signal system relies on sensors to detect vehicular traffic. Currently in some cities, another method of pedestrian detection is being tested, such as Infrared, microwave technology, or even weight sensors built in at curbside. On fully actuated signals, or semi-actuated traffic signals, crossing the side road portion, when there is no side traffic, pressing the button will cause an "instant walk signal." Contrary to popular belief saying the buttons are placebos, most buttons do work, but some only at certain times of day, and some, even at certain times of the year. In an event that the pedestrian button is malfunctioning, the pedestrian signal will be recalled automatically until the button is repaired. Image of a small dog taken in mid-infrared (thermal) light (false color) Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of radio waves. ... Microwaves are electromagnetic waves with wavelengths longer than those of Terahertz (THz) wavelengths, but relatively short for radio waves. ...

In non-English-speaking countries

In some countries, instead of "DONT WALK", "red man" or "hand" indicating when not to cross, the drawing of the person crossing appears with an X drawn over it.

In many parts of East Germany, the drawings of the crossing men have hats on them.

In Mexico City, the walking man moves his feet.

Enhancements for disabled users

Pedestrian controlled crossings are sometimes provided with enhanced features to assist the disabled. Enhancements may include: To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

• Tactile cones near the control button. These rotate when the pedestrian signal is green - the image of a "green man". This provides an indication to pedestrians incapable of seeing the lights that a crossing is possible with a degree of safety.
• Tactile surfacing pattern laid flush within the adjacent footways (US: sidewalks), so that visually impaired pedestrians can locate the control box and cone device and know when their crossing has been accomplished.
• Audible signals, such as beeps, in order to assist blind or partially sighted pedestrians; or a short recorded message, as in Scotland and some parts of the US, including Michigan, Massachusetts and Texas. In Japan, various electronic melodies are played, often of traditional melancholic folk songs such as "Toryanse" or "Sakura"
• A vibrating button in addition to an audible signal is used in Australia, Germany, and some parts of the United States and Greece to assist the hearing-impaired.

Tactile paving is a system of textured ground surface indicators found on many footpaths and train station platforms to assist blind and vision impared pedestrians. ... A sidewalk. ... Blindness can be defined physiologically as the condition of lacking sight. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  Ranked 44th  - Total 10,555 sq mi (27,360 km²)  - Width 183 miles (295 km)  - Length 113 miles (182 km)  - % water 13. ... Official language(s) See: Languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq mi (695,622 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ... Score of Sakura Sakura (さくら) is the name of a traditional Japanese folk song depicting spring, the season of sakura. ...

See also

• Ampelmännchen, the little men that are commonly shown on pedestrian traffic lights at crossings in Germany.
• An example of replacing grade level crossing with overhead walkways
• Stile
• Traffic light