Accessible crossings at traffic lights across Portsmouth are given the green light

People walking or using wheelchairs or mobility scooters are now able to use a smartphone app to activate the crossing, thanks to new technology developed by SmartCross+ and Portsmouth City Council. The technology has been installed at the well-used junction between Park Road and St George’s Road outside Gunwharf Quays with the app available from the Apple App Store and Google Play.

The city council says this will be particularly helpful for disabled people, since using the app will be a simpler way of crossing safely. People can also hold their hand under the push button unit instead of pushing the button.

People who cycle in the city will also benefit from new low level cycle signals with early release functions at the junction between Park Road and St Georges Road, the city council has also said. These work similarly to main traffic signals but are positioned at a lower level, making them easier to be seen. Cyclists will be given a head start over the rest of the traffic, enabling them to move into the junction first and becoming more visible to motorists.

Drivers will also be able to benefit from intelligent control of traffic thanks to built-in detectors to monitor whether people are walking through the crossing or travelling through on bikes. The traffic lights also have improved visibility for drivers.

Other locations across the city are also beginning to have the same technology installed at busy crossing points; these are the crossings at Winston Churchill Avenue, Goldsmith Avenue, Victoria Road North and crossings at the junction of Milton Road and Velder Avenue. The crossings in Marketway, Commercial Road North and London Road are due to have the facilities installed later in 2024.

Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, the council’s cabinet member for transport, said: "I'm pleased to see better accessibility options for disabled people being added to junctions across Portsmouth. We continually look at ways to make things better for everyone travelling around Portsmouth, and these improvements will make it safer and easier for everyone to cross the road and improve traffic flow, especially at busy times.”