— Zebra crossings using signs rather than beacons “significantly less expensive”.
Legal changes last year removed the requirement for beacons for all zebra crossings, and now more crossings are planned.
The council announced that it has installed its first two zebras with signs at Blackditch Road, Ballyfermot and on South William Street, and it has also said that it plans to install five others.
In a report to councillors recently officials said: “Currently, a further six crossings are in planning, (subject to funding) and are expected to be installed in the coming months at the following locations: Mount Prospect Avenue, Greendale Road (at the school), Greendale Road (at the shops), Herbert Park, Marlborough Road (at the school).”
There was also a working group on zebra crossings, and a longer list of locations suitable for zebras was created but when asked about these, the council told IrishCycle.com that “All future installations are subject to future funding.”
The council said it does not currently “have a cost estimate for a standard zebra crossing as each crossing is dependent on the drainage arrangement,” but it said, “Two crossings have been completed to date, and both were significantly less expensive compared to a fully signalised pedestrian crossing.”
A report on the successful trial of zebras with signs said: “By removing the requirement for flashing beacons, a significant cost saving may be achieved with an overall reduction in not only purchase and installation cost but also ongoing energy costs, as well as the operational cost associated with any ongoing maintenance.”
“For example, if a column was struck by an errant vehicle, due to the electrical connections within beacons there may be a significant repair cost associated,” the report said.
It added: “There would also be an increased risk to maintenance personnel both in working with electricity, and in time spent working adjacent to a live carriageway. These risks could be mitigated by replacement of the beacons with a fixed traffic sign alternative solution. Introduction of new facilities can also suffer from drawn out timescales due to programming of electrical works. Removing the need for beacons will simplify delivery and enable more crossings to be provided in a shorter timeframe.”
Currently, including the two recently installed ones with just signs, there are just six zebra crossings on roads and streets controlled by Dublin City Council.
The majority of zebra crossings within the council’s administrative area are on publically accessible but privately-controlled hospital grounds, university campuses and locations like Dublin Port — a number of which outnumber the zebras on public roads in just a single small area such as a campus.
There is a zebra crossing without signs or beacons on Harbourmaster Place, at the entrance to Connolly Station. It has been there for a long time. Is this DCC controlled land?