Pedestrian crossings

Improving the safety of pedestrians by providing pedestrian crossings and encouraging their use.

Trunk roads are not managed by Suffolk County Council

Suffolk County Council installs and maintains a range of pedestrian crossings across the county. Crossings are safety features designed to keep pedestrians where motorists can see them and where they can cross safely.

There are a variety of different crossings which may consist of road markings and beacon poles such as a zebra crossing.  On busier or faster roads, more sophisticated crossings are used consisting of electric lamps or light-emitting (LED) panels with a button to trigger the signal. Audible signals may be included to assist people who have poor sight, or tactile signals for those with hearing difficulties.

The county council receives many requests each year for new crossings. To help use the available funding to best effect, each site is surveyed and the results compared with national criteria and local objectives and targets to identify where investment is most appropriate. The main factors measured are the number of people crossing and the amount of traffic. Other factors include the number of injuries on the road near the site, local features such as hospitals, schools and shops and the contribution to walking and cycling.  A list is then drawn up in order of priority, with the worst site for pedestrians at the top of the list.

If you feel that there is a problem that could be solved by the introduction of a new pedestrian crossing please contact our Customer Service Centre. A traffic management engineer will assess your request.

To report a fault with an existing pedestrian crossing please contact our Customer Service Centre. A traffic management engineer will investigate the reported fault and arrange for any necessary repair work to be carried out.