PEDESTRIAN CONTROL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 80, 16 March 1934, Page 12

PEDESTRIAN CONTROL

A step toward the solution of pedestrian control is provided by marking out special crossing paths on the road, and the Checkon type of crossing is receiving increased attention in this connection. Small granite blocks, each 18in. long, 12in. wide, and sin. deep, are laid across the road as a path so that the blocks, which are of either black or white granite, form a chequer, ed pattern. It is now some years since special crossings were introduced for pedestrians in Paris, but steel studs were used to mark the borders for the paths provided. The disadvantages of steel studs are that they are not readily visible at night and, after a certain amount of wear, stick out awkwardly above the road surface. Another method, tried in England, is to mark crossings by painting paths across the road. The paint, however, needs renewing very often under heavy traffic conditions, and a more permanent arrangement would be to make the whole path part of the actual road surface. The Checkon type of crossing achieves this and it is also stated to provide a very durable and non-slippery surface. It should certainly be easily visible with its striking black and white pattern