In 2014, a new state standard was introduced in the Russian Federation that regulates the design of roads. Among the requirements presented in it, an important place is occupied by instructions on the location, design and width of the pedestrian crossing (PP). Let's look at how this object should look from the point of view of the new GOST.
What is a pedestrian crossing according to the letter of the law
As soon as they learn to walk, each child begins to hear about the need to cross the roadway only "along the zebra." This playful name is a variation of black and white markings to indicate a specialized area for the safe passage of pedestrians to the opposite side of the street or road. This area is a pedestrian crossing.
For the first time in this form, as we know it, PP arose in Europe in the fifties of the twentieth century. And in the Soviet Union, this technique was adopted a little later - in the sixties.
The choice of black and white (more precisely, gray and white) colors was made not by accident. Scientists have found that this combination of colors is perceived faster than others by the eye. Although today a lot of experiments are being conducted with other combinations, which is reflected in the innovations of GOST 2014.
According to the norms, pedestrian crossings are established:
- in front of the intersections;
- close to public transport (buses, trams, trolleybuses);
- near schools, hospitals, shopping centers and other actively visited places.
Depending on the location of the transition, they are of the following types:
- ground / underground;
- adjustable / unregulated (determined by the presence of a traffic light);
- on the roadway, outside of it.
In order for such important objects to be recognizable both by pedestrians and drivers, the following basic details are used to designate them:
- specialized road marking (aka zebra);
- paired pointers.
There are also additional transition notation:
- signs painted on asphalt in front of the zone;
- speed bumps;
- specialized lighting devices along the perimeter of the transition.
Crosswalk sign
In order for the driver or pedestrian to know that there is an equipped area for crossing the road (which he is not always able to see from far away), signs 5.19.1 and 5.19.2 are placed on both sides of it. Their design is familiar to everyone: on a white background there is a black man walking "along the zebra".
Such signs indicate the territory of the transition (its beginning and end). They should always be present in a pair, even if markings are not made on the road for some reason. You canβt have markings without signs. This is not just a gross violation, it is unsafe, because the driver simply will not see the lane on the road.
Despite the paired pointers for PP, in fact, it is one and the same sign in mirror image. Such duality is necessary for the convenience of motorists to pick up signs. Sign 5.19.1 is always placed to the right of the road, and 5.19.2, respectively, to the left.
According to the requirements of the new standard, so that the signs are more visible from afar, along the outline of the figure they should be circled by a yellow-green fluorescent film of type B.
Types of pedestrian crossing markings
The second necessary component for designating PP is a zebra. According to the current GOST, there are two varieties of it:
- 1.14.1 - the classic alternation of gray-white stripes (applied when the total width of the pedestrian crossing does not reach six meters);
- 1.14.2 - it looks somewhat unusual, since arrows are added to the stripes indicating which side of the BCP should be crossed (used with a zone width of more than six meters).
What GOST governs the rules for the design of pedestrian crossings
Currently, the current state standard (in accordance with which it is necessary to place the software) is GOST 32944-2014 "Public roads. Pedestrian crossings. Classification. General requirements."
This document regulates not only the width of the zebra of the pedestrian crossing, but also the location of the object itself, its illumination and the number of pointers.
In addition to the Russian Federation, it is relevant for Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Tajikistan.
Width is the width of discord! What are you talking about?
Speaking about what width of the pedestrian crossing should be established by law, you need to clearly understand what exactly is meant. The fact is that under this expression two concepts can be implied at once. Pedestrian Crossing Lane Width:
- all the space allocated for the object;
- road markings.
The marking requirements are specified in the International Convention on Road Signs, the parameters of the entire transition area are indicated in the above GOST.
PP strip width (marking)
In most cases, when applying a "zebra", its classic version is used. This is due to the simplicity of creating templates for its implementation, which is why it was adopted as a base according to the standard.
The dimensions of the marking of the pedestrian crossing 1.14.1 are regulated by Appendix No. 8 to the "International Convention on Road Signs and Signals" (Chapter III, paragraph D "Pedestrian Crossings"), adopted in Vienna in 1968.
It says that the width of one strip plus the gap between the strips is 1-1.4 m. The distance between the strips should be related to their width in a proportion of one to one to one to two. It is important!
The same document provides the recommended minimum crosswalk widths. Their size is tied to the allowed vehicle speed:
- 2.5 m at a speed of 60 km / h;
- 4 m at a speed of 60 km / h and above.
When creating the current existing requirements for the width of the crosswalk band in accordance with GOST, the wishes from Appendix No. 8 were taken into account. However, they were adapted to the realities of the Russian Federation.
It is worth noting that according to the new state standard, the gaps between the white stripes of the βzebraβ should now not be gray, but yellow, which is designed to make the transition more noticeable from afar. For comparison, in Ukraine this space is usually painted in red for the same reason.
The current legislation defines not only the requirements for the width of the markup and its color scheme, but also the frequency of its restoration.
As you know, the application of strips on the PP is carried out in two ways:
- painting them with a stencil;
- by applying thermoplastic masses.
According to GOST, if half of the coating or more is worn away (for strips painted with paint) - it is necessary to restore them according to the remaining traces or to complete a complete repartition again. For transitions formed using thermoplastic masses, their restoration is provided for when a quarter of the marking is damaged.
Among other requirements of the new GOST is the installation of speed bumps on both sides of the pedestrian crossing. This is especially important near schools, dangerous intersections, where there are no traffic lights.
PP width. What does it depend on?
Having considered the features of the marking of the pedestrian crossing (the width of the strips and the distance between them), we move on to the dimensions of the entire PP zone. In the Russian Federation, they are not tied to the speed of vehicles, but to the number of pedestrians (these also include wheelchair users and nearby bicycles / motorbikes) who can cross the road in a unit of time.
When it comes to the size of the entire territory of the PP, they are calculated taking into account the maximum number of pedestrians who can use it at rush hour. When conducting such calculations, it is also taken into account:
- pavement size;
- location of the transition itself (ground / underground);
- the presence of stairs and ramps leading to the object.
All of these parameters affect the speed of pedestrian passing PP, as well as its safety. The more lively the transition is, the more people must have time to move forward per unit of time, which means that the wider it should be. And vice versa.
Width of a pedestrian crossing located outside the carriageway
Not all roadblocks are located directly on the road itself. Often they can be built under it (underpasses), as well as above it (bridges, overpasses). The sizes of such objects are indicated in the state standard separately.
According to GOST, the width of the pedestrian crossing located outside the carriageway should be calculated depending on the likely traffic intensity of people passing during rush hour and the maximum throughput of one part of the PP one meter in size.
If we are talking about an underground tunnel or a bridge overhead crossing, the maximum bandwidth of one lane is taken into account, which two thousand people can pass in an hour. Moreover, the width of the pedestrian crossing should not be less than three meters.
When calculating for aboveground and underground PP, it is worth considering an important nuance. To go through it, people will have to spend time climbing / descending stairs or ramps. Therefore, their parameters will also affect the overall size of the transition.
According to the state standard, the total width of the stairs and ramps for climbing / lowering is calculated taking into account the maximum throughput of one strip (1,500 people / hour for the stairs, 1,750 people / hour for the ramp), not less than 2.25 m (with mandatory the presence of two stairs at each end of the PP).
Crossings located on the carriageway
This category includes software located on the road itself. According to the degree of load, they are calculated on a smaller number of "visitors".
According to GOST, the width of the pedestrian crossing on the roadway must correspond to the intensity of the human flow: for every five hundred people per hour, one meter is allocated. In this case, the total size should not be less than three meters. In addition, the width of the entire roadblock should be equal to or greater than the width of the sidewalk or pedestrian walkway that the transition continues.
For calculations, the following formula is used: B = (K p / 500) x 1 (m). In it To p - the number of people per hour.
How to determine the width of the pedestrian crossing? If there is no markup?
In addition to those who design roads and roadblocks on them, determining the width of the crossings is important for those who will use them. Although the law clearly requires that markings be always distinguishable, due to negligence of utilities in the winter, a zebra often becomes invisible under a layer of snow or ice. In a similar situation, it becomes impossible to determine where the PP begins and ends by marking on asphalt.
In this case, both the driver and the pedestrian should be guided by the placement of signs 5.19.1 and 5.19.2. The distance between them will be considered the width of the pedestrian crossing.
PP location norms
In conclusion, we consider the requirements for the frequency of location of junctions in accordance with the guidelines of the new state standard. The number of equipped crossings varies depending on the importance category of the road where they are located.
In the city on the streets of local importance, the frequency of PP is at least every 150-200 m.
On the streets of district significance and highways, crossings are located no closer than 250-300 m.
City streets and highways are equipped with software not more often than after 300-400 m.
Highways and streets, as well as city-wide roads with continuous traffic, are equipped with crossings only after 400-600 m between them.