Hundreds pile into debate over crossing blamed for town tailbacks - Jersey Evening Post
by Elen Johnston · Jersey Evening PostPosted inNews
Hundreds pile into debate over crossing blamed for town tailbacks
by Elen Johnston 17 May 202617 May 2026
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A CALL to replace the zebra crossing outside Liberation Station with a pelican crossing backed by hundreds of Islanders on social media has reignited furious debate over one of town’s most notorious traffic bottlenecks – but the Parish Constable and government are insisting it is not the solution.
A post in a local Facebook group proposing the alternative crossing as a way of mitigating lengthy tailbacks that have frustrated Islanders for many years quickly amassed more than 700 likes and 200 comments – many of which from Islanders giving their strong approval.
However, contacted by the JEP about whether the solution could be considered, the government argued that the change would “increase delays for off-peak traffic”, during which times it would be “stopped for longer than needed” to allow these “single pedestrian movements”.
An Infrastructure Department spokesperson said: “If we removed the zebra in favour of a pelican or similar, pedestrians would still cross just as frequently with and against these signals, but with less inherent protection and a higher level of risk, particularly for children.”
They added that officials are continuing to “manage congestion hotspots and support the movement of people and commerce” by reviewing the town centre in the hope of “[coming] to a view on network-wide options” as part of the St Helier Public Realm and Movement Strategy.
Outgoing St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft also maintained that a pelican crossing would not resolve motorists’ woes.
The real problem, he claimed, was motorists “heading from North to East or vice versa going through town”, rather than the “Tunnel or ring road”.
“It’s an old chestnut that comes up with people frustrated by the long tailback. In my opinion, it is wrong to change the current arrangements,” he said.
“They give priority to pedestrians and the States’ policy around moving around town suggests we should be making it easier for people to have an uninterrupted journey on foot around the town centre.”
The Constable went on to state that he believed “people trying to use the town centre as a way through is the reason why there are back-ups”.
He also noted that, given “Liberation Square is a highly symbolic part of the Island and the town”, putting restrictions on pedestrians’ freedom, in his view, “would send out the wrong message”.
What people said on social media
“I’ve said this for years now!!! It just needs a pelican-controlled crossing to take away the traffic congestion up Mulcaster Streeet and into town. How can no one in authority see this?” one commenter said.
Another added: “This crossing brings the town centre to a standstill for two hours a day, Monday to Friday. A simple push button-controlled crossing would prevent all that.”
Other commenters took a more ‘creative’ approach – with one Islander providing a seemingly AI-generated vision of a pirate-like, tall and rickety wooden walk-over bridge, tilting at an angle that certainly fall short of today’s today’s health and safety regulations.
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