The most dangerous pedestrian crossings

4 out of 15 pedestrian crossings in Zug failed the test, with only two being fully compliant. The City of Zug has taken measures.

A pram rolls slowly to the side of the road. The mother hesitates, a car is approaching far too quickly on the Gubelstrasse in Zug. The woman steps onto the pedestrian crossing, but will the car really stop? The Touring Club of Switzerland (TCS) has observed just such scenes - with sobering results: four pedestrian crossings around Zug Railway Station actually failed the test. In all, the TCS tested fifteen crossings without traffic lights, and the conclusion was sobering: only two of the pedestrian crossings are ‘fully compliant’, A further three crossings are ‘fully compliant except for people with reduced mobility’. Three crossings were ‘OK’ and a further three are simply ‘adequate. Four pedestrian crossings had deficiencies.

What did the TCS criticise regarding the pedestrian crossings, and how is the City of Zug responding?

Pedestrian crossing at Grafenaustrasse - Albisstrasse (12)
TCS: The criticisms include the trees and dense vegetation that obscure the visibility of the pedestrian crossing. The visibility of children is severely restricted, and ‘sudden appearances of pedestrians’ are also to be expected.
Reply from the City of Zug: ‘Immediate measures are being examined’.

Pedestrian crossing at Gubelstrasse Ost - roundabout (13)
TCS: According to the standard, an additional central island would be necessary to avoid dangerous situations. Bicycles and pedestrians can be overlooked, particularly when a vehicle stops in front of the pedestrian crossing, and this is potentially dangerous. Access to the pedestrian crossing is also obscured by a wall. Drivers must expect pedestrians to appear unexpectedly.
City of Zug: ‘This pedestrian crossing cannot be improved with reasonable and appropriate effort for reasons of space, and without endangering other road users or obstructing public transport.’ The authorities point out that there is a subway nearby.

Metallstrasse - Lauriedstrasse (14)
TCS: Trees, lush vegetation and bicycle parking spaces contribute to restricted visibility. It is particularly difficult to see children who want to use the pedestrian crossing. The sudden appearance of people must also be expected. The lighting is not good, as the trees have dense foliage.
City of Zug: ‘The situation will be improved by pruning the bushes.’

Map showing the pedestrian crossings tested
12: ‘Deficient": Pedestrian crossing on Grafenaustrasse, at the junction with Albisstrasse
13: According to the TCS, this pedestrian crossing between the Parktower and the railway station is deficient.   
Photo: Matthias Jurt
14: ‘Deficient": Pedestrian crossing on the Metallstrasse, at the junction with the Lauriedstrasse
15: ‘Deficient": Pedestrian crossing at the Gotthardstrasse/Poststrasse junction   
Photos: Google Maps    

Gotthardstrasse - Poststrasse (15)
TCS: Compared to the standard, there is no central island as a crossing aid. Concrete plinths have been installed to slow down pedestrian traffic, and these can become a problem for people with limited mobility.
City of Zug: ‘The pedestrian crossing will be redesigned in the near future as part of an existing conversion project for the junction.’

The city is also planning measures for the other pedestrian crossings that were analysed and were found to be not fully compliant. For example, the pedestrian crossing on the Dammstrasse (11) will be improved as part of the road renovation programme. There is another way, of course: the three pedestrian crossings on the Alpenstrasse (1) and the Gotthardstrasse (3, 10) that were criticised by the TCS have been removed by the city, in connection with the renovation of the roads and a new 30 km/h zone.

According to Dieter Müller, Head of Communications for the City of Zug, all the pedestrian crossings investigated by the TCS do not particularly stand out in the accident statistics: a total of eleven accidents occurred at pedestrian crossings in the city of Zug in 2023, five of which resulted in property damage and six in personal injury. There were a total of 148 accidents recorded by the police.

Dieter Müller says that the VSS standard, which regulates requirements such as the design and safety of pedestrian crossings, dates back to 2019. The pedestrian crossings that were analysed by the TCS were all built before this standard was published. The TCS tested a total of 105 pedestrian crossings around railway stations throughout Switzerland, and reported that every second crossing was inadequate.