Overview
- Researchers from the Universities of Bath, Birmingham and Exeter report an average gait speed of 0.77 m/s, well under the design assumption of 1.2 m/s.
- The average participant would need 6.5 seconds to cross a 5‑metre road, which is more than two seconds longer than typical green intervals allow.
- Only 1.5% of older adults walking at a comfortable pace could complete a standard crossing within the current signal time.
- Over half of participants would have to increase their comfortable speed by 50% or more, with slower gait linked to older age, lower strength and poorer balance.
- The team recommends recalibrating for a 0.7 m/s design speed, adding a few seconds to green times, integrating age‑friendly street features, and ensuring smart‑crossing tech is inclusively designed and properly communicated, with policy updates needed from transport authorities.