Toucan Crossing - What does it mean?

Are you a member of the Reading Cycle Campaign?  Either way you might want to make them aware, or check that they are already aware that the facilities either side of the junction are not clearly marked and/or adequate.

'Toucan' crossing means 'two can cross', ie cyclists and pedestrians, and will have a cycle and a ped illuminated symbol when you're crossing. They're wider than normal 'puffin' ped-only crossings.

A toucan should link two shared areas, even if that shared area is only the 'landing' part on either side. From there it should be clear whether it's a shared path (signed by a blue roundel with the cycle symbol above the pedestrian symbol WITHOUT a solid line splitting them) or whether there is a segregated path (similar sign, symbols side-by-side with a line between them). In a lot of places the shared path sign is there, but it could be some distance from the crossing. The guidance suggests that it should be located where the shared route begins, so the theory is that users notice the sign, and that they're in a shared area, and you're in it until you see another sign advising otherwise. Therefore the shared use sign might be some distance from the crossing, and unfortunately there are a lot of signs missing, having been blown/knocked off, and unless someone notices it (how do you notice something isn't there..?) it could be like that for a while.

Shared areas of footpath are also indicated by tactile paving. This is for partially sighted/blind users to understand the environment. A shared area (ie, peds and cyclists) will (should) have a section of transverse 'tramline' paving, the type that you'll feel rattling your handlebars, at the beginning and end. Where the cycle/peds are segregated, the ped side will have this transverse pattern (ie, 90 degrees to the direction of travel) and the cycle side will have them in line with travel (an example of this in Manchester is the path at the southern end of Sackville St, where the segregated path takes you under the Mancunian Way).

Just to add to the fun, in some cases toucans are created (or existing crossings upgraded to toucan) before the shared area is completed/even started, like in the comment. Or vice-versa - you'll have a shared section of path and you are supposed to dismount and walk across the crossing until the toucan is in place. These things are expensive and sometimes local authorities often build what they can when they can rather than wait to do it all in one go. Not much use right now but the argument goes that in the end it will all join up...

If you want to do a bit more research, have a browse of these docs, the guidance all designers refer to. Just google them and search within the document for words/phrases you want.

Traffic Signs Manual – Chapter 3 - Regulatory Signs (TSM explains how signs and road markings should be used, and refers to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General DIrections (TSRGD). There are other TSM chapters, 5 is also useful for this. Don't bother with TSRGD unless you're a traffic engineer - it's not very user friendly).

Local transport note 1/12 - Shared Use Routes for Pedestrians and Cyclists 

Guidance on the Use of Tactile Paving Surfaces (DfT, 1998) - Chapter 5 is the pertinent part for this subject.

If you're concerned that there might be signs or tactiles missing, or that it might be signed wrong, or that a few repeater signs on the route might help to reduce the risk of conflict, I'd suggest you drop MCC an email via their website. The local authority has a duty to correctly sign routes, and this includes maintaining those routes and ensuring they're safe.

Hope that helps

I too have one of these near me, when they modernised the crossing, formerly an old style pelican with lovely high red and green man opposite, they made it a low down same side toucan, but there are no shared use facilities going along the pedestrian pavement.  Thing is it's almost on the NCN 5, also the R40, where it comes off the Thames and hits Church Street, Caversham.  The signposting is all a bit confused and if you're going up the hill, away from the river, the directions just sort of stops.   Better coming down from the Chilerns towards the river.