Cllr Fishwick told the press recently “The Department for Transport has criteria which must be met for new pedestrian crossings that include factors such as pedestrian numbers, traffic flow, road characteristics and safety considerations." He was using this to blame government regulations for why they may not be able to provide a crossing on Shinfield Road.

1. Please could you disclose what these requirements are, what discussions have been had about them, what advice he was given and how they limit the provision of pedestrian crossings?
Regarding the requirements set forth by the Department for Transport (DfT) for new pedestrian crossings and their impact on the provision of crossings.

The Department for Transport (DfT) indeed establishes specific criteria for the installation of new pedestrian crossings. While the Traffic Signs Manual (TSM) Chapter 6 offers suggested criteria for standalone crossings, many councils, including Wokingham Borough, still utilize the PV2 methodology. Under this methodology, surveys are conducted to assess pedestrian and vehicle movements.

These surveys typically cover a 50-meter stretch in both directions from the proposed crossing site, spanning from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM to identify peak conflict periods. The PV2 calculation considers various factors such as the number of accidents along the road, current speed limits, pedestrian waiting times, and road width, each with its own weighting. These data points are then used to determine the level of conflict between pedestrians and vehicles. If the resulting PV2 value exceeds a threshold of 1 x 10^8, justification for a crossing may be established, pending technical feasibility and funding availability.

Conversely, if the threshold is not met, current justification for a crossing may not be present. From the last survey in 2022, pedestrian demand at the proposed site was found to be low, resulting in a PV2 calculation that did not meet the threshold for a crossing at this time.