Balham Road Crossing Trial Leads to Roll Out of New Technology

A successful road crossing trial in Balham has led to the proposed roll out of 200 new countdown crossings around London.

The trial was carried out on Balham High Road, outside Balham Station, as one of eight test sites for the new technology.  At all trial sites, fewer people felt rushed when crossing the road with Pedestrian Countdown, compared to without. The most significant reduction was at the Balham trial site, where the proportion of people who felt rushed fell from 45 per cent to 7 per cent in the final after study

Transport for London announced today that pedestrians across London will have a clearer idea of how long they have left to safely cross the road from summer 2012 as new Pedestrian Countdown technology is rolled out across the Capital. 

Sharon Grant, Chair of London Travelwatch, said: "Pedestrians will welcome the roll-out of Pedestrian Countdown across London."

'It has de-mystified the traffic light sequences at crossings and gives pedestrians clear information on how long they have to cross safely."