John Rowland wrote:
"Nicolas" wrote in message
...

First of all, I'd like to know the leaning of the zigzag lines that can be
seen in many streets in London, also shown on this picture :
http://www.fh-oow.de/fbbug/html/h_a/...road-zebra.jpg


Note that they are white if the restriction is full-time, such as on a
crossing. There are also yellow zigzags which can be found around schools,
and here the restriction is part-time.

Just to add some confusion:

The yellow zig-zags which exist outside school entrances have no legal
force unless there is a TRO (Traffic Regulation Order) and associated
'plates' giving details of restriction. I my experience VERY few yellow
zi-zags have TROs, hence drivers who park can only be done under
'obstruction' rules by police or traffic wardens.

Further confusion results in areas which have LAPE (Local Authority
Parking Enforcement) (most of London?) Here 'Parking Attendants' issue
PCNs (Penalty Charge Notices) for 'contraventions' of waiting
restrictions. Such people have no powers to deal with obstruction
offences, stopping on zig-zags approaching pedestrian crossings, or
stoppings in cycle lanes.

So where 'LAPE' is currently in force you are less likely to get DONE
for the major 'infringement' especially as in some LAPE areas the police
seem to had absolved themselves of responsibilty for 'enforcement' of
many of the above items not covered by 'Parking Attendants'



You can see more about this issue at:
http://www.camcycle.org.uk/newsletters/58/article6.html

Jim Chisholm

"Helen Deborah Vecht" wrote in message
...
"John Rowland" typed

The correct English name is "studs", not "nails". They used them
here in the 1970s, but I don't think they use them now.

Ziz-zags replaced studs at zebra crossings in the early 1970s
(?1971) if my memory is correct.

Depends which studs you are talking about, but first a bit of history:

I believe that pedestrian crossings marked with studs existed before
1934, but in that year Leslie Hore-Belisha, as Minister of Transport,
added to the crossings the yellow 'Belisha' beacons, which were
continuously lit. Then, in 1951, these were changed to Zebra Crossings,
with white stripes painted between the rows of studs, and flashing
beacons.

Later, a double row of studs on the approach side of the road were added
to define the area in which parking of vehicles was prohibited. It is
these studs that were later changed to zig-zag lines. Meanwhile, the
studs marking the width of the crossing remained, though generally
replaced by squares of white paint. Example at
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/ecchav/...reet/str11.htm

Note however, that these painted "studs" are redundant as there are also
dotted lines across the road. I believe that the studs are not now used
on new crossings.

Nicolas may be interested in this site which says that white lines (to
mark the centre of the road) were first introduced in 1927:
http://www.roadsafetyuk.co.uk/histall.htm
(Note that it says that Belisha beacons were flashing from 1934, which I
am sure is wrong.)

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

"Richard J." wrote in message
. uk...

"Helen Deborah Vecht" wrote in message
...
"John Rowland" typed

The correct English name is "studs", not "nails". They used them
here in the 1970s, but I don't think they use them now.

Ziz-zags replaced studs at zebra crossings in the early 1970s
(?1971) if my memory is correct.

Depends which studs you are talking about, but first a bit of history:

I believe that pedestrian crossings marked with studs existed before 1934,
but in that year Leslie Hore-Belisha, as Minister of Transport, added to
the crossings the yellow 'Belisha' beacons, which were continuously lit.
Then, in 1951, these were changed to Zebra Crossings, with white stripes
painted between the rows of studs, and flashing beacons.

Later, a double row of studs on the approach side of the road were added
to define the area in which parking of vehicles was prohibited. It is
these studs that were later changed to zig-zag lines. Meanwhile, the
studs marking the width of the crossing remained, though generally
replaced by squares of white paint. Example at
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/ecchav/...reet/str11.htm

Note however, that these painted "studs" are redundant as there are also
dotted lines across the road. I believe that the studs are not now used
on new crossings.

Nicolas may be interested in this site which says that white lines (to
mark the centre of the road) were first introduced in 1927:
http://www.roadsafetyuk.co.uk/histall.htm

There was also an experiment in the 1960s with an alternative crossing
called a Panda Crossing:
http://newssearch.bbc.co.uk/onthisda...00/3044335.stm


It was not a success: "...the black and white triangular markings with their
sequence of flashing lights have caused little more than utter confusion on
the roads."
http://newssearch.bbc.co.uk/onthisda...00/2840919.stm

"Richard J." wrote in message
. uk...

http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/ecchav/...reet/str11.htm

Beautiful street lamps, but I wonder why 2 of them are double-sided. Maybe
they had run out of the single-sided ones.

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes