Touch-Free Pedestrian Crossing Now in Operation in Glasgow City Centre

Following work to improve pedestrian facilities at busy traffic light-controlled junctions as part of the Spaces for People programme, we have now installed 'touch-free' technology at several crossing points including the Renfield Street/Gordon Street junction next to Glasgow Central Station.

The retrofit equipment has a built-in sensor that allows pedestrians to place their hand beneath the push button control to initiate the crossing.

Altering the lights in this way will help ease pedestrian movement, particularly as more people return to the city centre, ensuring there is no need to touch equipment to cross the road.

The touch-free technology has also been installed at the locations shown below, with preparations underway for a further 16 sites across the city, with more to follow over the summer months.

• Argyle Street/Union Street
• Bank Street/Gibson Street
• Byres Road/Cresswell Street
• Byres Road/Highburgh Road
• Byres Road/Ruthven Street
• Great Western Road/Napiershall Street
• St Vincent Street/West Nile Street

Signage to let pedestrians know of the change has been affixed to street furniture at relevant crossings; and where tactile cones are installed, these remain in operation to assist the visually impaired.

This latest initiative follows on from work in recent months to automate over 40 sets of traffic lights to either minimise pedestrian waiting time or increase the duration the green man is displayed - with both adjustments made where possible.

These changes have been made as part of a raft of Spaces for People initiatives funded by the Scottish Government through Sustrans Scotland, to help suppress COVID-19 by easing pedestrian movement in busier areas and providing new cycling infrastructure to encourage active travel and ease demand on public transport.

We have also adjusted pedestrian crossings on Queen Street/Argyle Street and Cowcaddens Road/Caledonian University so that the green man is the default setting - giving pedestrians priority over road traffic.