Editing Tower Bridge (section)

== Traffic ==
[[File:Cmglee Tower Bridge tall ship.jpg|thumb|right|The [[tall ship]] ''[[Wylde Swan]]'' passing under Tower Bridge decorated for the London Olympics in August 2012. Note the Olympic rings are folded up to allow passage of the mast.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sailroyalgreenwich.co.uk/en/corporate-hospitality/fleet |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009010301/http://www.sailroyalgreenwich.co.uk/en/corporate-hospitality/fleet |url-status=dead |title=Fleet |website=Sail Royal Greenwich |publisher=Nautisch Evenementen Bureau |archive-date=9 October 2012 }}</ref>]]
[[File:Tower Bridge, gates closed - geograph.org.uk - 3703876.jpg|thumb|right|Preparing Tower Bridge for raising. When this occurs, gates across the low-level part are closed and motorists are ordered to stop by a red light on ordinary traffic signals, not by a pair of flashing red lights.]]

=== Road ===
During the first twelve months after the opening of the bridge, the average stoppage of road traffic at each bridge lift was six minutes. The average number of vehicles crossing the bridge daily was about 8,000.<ref name=":0" />

Tower Bridge is still a busy crossing of the Thames, used by more than 40,000 people (motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians) every day.<ref name="BBCstickFix">{{cite news |title=Fix to stop bridge getting stuck |website=[[BBC News]] |date=17 January 2006 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4620622.stm |access-date=25 September 2007 |archive-date=5 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070305195104/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4620622.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> The bridge is on the [[London Inner Ring Road]], and is on the eastern boundary of the [[London congestion charge]] zone (drivers do not incur the charge by crossing the bridge).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2007/february/transport-for-london-cracks-down-on-damage-to-tower-bridge |title=Transport for London cracks down on damage to Tower Bridge |work=Transport for London |date=6 February 2007 |access-date=24 October 2019 |archive-date=24 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024171319/https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2007/february/transport-for-london-cracks-down-on-damage-to-tower-bridge |url-status=live }}</ref>

To maintain the integrity of the structure, the City of London Corporation has imposed a {{convert|20|mph|km/h|0|adj=on}} speed restriction, and an {{convert|18|t|ST|adj=on}} weight limit on vehicles using the bridge. A camera system measures the speed of traffic crossing the bridge, using a [[vehicle registration plate|number plate]] recognition system to send [[Fixed penalty notice|fixed penalty charges]] to speeding drivers.<ref name=tbspeedcheck>{{cite web |url=http://www.speedcheck.co.uk/images/Tower_Bridge_Case_Study.pdf |author=Speed Check Services |access-date=18 November 2010 |title=Bridge Protection Scheme |archive-date=31 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331155026/http://www.speedcheck.co.uk/images/Tower_Bridge_Case_Study.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A second system monitors other vehicle parameters. [[Induction loop]]s and [[piezoelectricity|piezoelectric]] sensors are used to measure the weight, the height of the chassis above ground level, and the number of axles of each vehicle, with drivers of overweight vehicles also receiving fixed penalty notices.<ref name=tbspeedcheck />

===Pedestrian===
Pedestrians can walk across on the bascule bridge when it is down for auto and truck traffic. Ship traffic has priority, meaning traffic using the bascule bridge waits when the bridge opens for ships.

From the outset in 1894, the high-level connection was a pedestrian route and was intended to allow pedestrian movement to continue while the bascule bridge was open for ship traffic. During the first twelve months after opening, the average number of pedestrians using the bridge was about 60,000 daily.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |last1=Cruttwell |first1=George Edward Wilson |title="The Tower Bridge: Superstructure" |journal=Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers |date=10 November 1896 |volume=Paper No. 2938 |page=53 }}</ref> The pedestrian walkways in each direction were changed to have glass floors in 2014. Lifts bring pedestrians up to and down from the high level pedestrian bridge. The upper walkways are part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition, which included a tour of how the bascule bridge works. Pedestrians can view the city from the bridge and through its upper walkway.<ref name=GlassFloors>{{cite web |url=https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/your-visit/glass-floor#hide-main-navigation |title=Glass Floors |work=City Bridge Foundation |date= |access-date=30 April 2024 |archive-date=29 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240929053550/https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/your-visit/glass-floor#hide-main-navigation |url-status=live }}</ref> There is a fee for the Tower Bridge Exhibition, tickets are needed.<ref name=GlassFloors />

=== River ===
During the first twelve months after the opening of the bridge, the bascules were raised for the passage of vessels 6,160 times, an average of seventeen times daily.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cruttwell |first1=George Edward Wilson |title="The Tower Bridge: Superstructure" |journal=Proceedings of the Institution of Cvil Engineers |date=10 November 1896 |volume=Paper no. 2938 |page=52 }}</ref> Now, the bascules are raised about a thousand times a year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bridge Lifts |website=Tower Bridge |publisher=[[City of London Corporation]] |url=http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/TowerBridge/English/BridgeLifts/ |access-date=25 September 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912190426/http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/TowerBridge/English/BridgeLifts/ |archive-date=12 September 2007 }}</ref> River traffic is now much reduced, but it still takes priority over road traffic. Today, 24 hours' notice is required before opening the bridge, and opening times are published in advance on the bridge's website;<ref>{{cite web |title=Bridge Lift Times |url=http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/lift-times/ |website=Tower Bridge Exhibition |publisher=[[Corporation of the City of London|City of London]] |access-date=10 November 2014 |archive-date=10 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110194407/http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/lift-times/ |url-status=live }}</ref> there is no charge for vessels to open the bridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/about-us/how-often-and-why-does-tower-bridge-open |title=How often does Tower Bridge open? |website=Tower Bridge |publisher=[[City of London Corporation]] |access-date=29 December 2020 |archive-date=23 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123051519/https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/about-us/how-often-and-why-does-tower-bridge-open |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Cycling ===
[[Transport for London]] have proposed [[List of cycle routes in London#Cycle Superhighways|Cycle Superhighway 4]] to run across Tower Bridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/roads/cs4/ |title=Have your say on Cycle Superhighway Route 4 from Tower Bridge to Greenwich |work=Transport for London |date=1 August 2019 |access-date=28 June 2021 |archive-date=28 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628143245/https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/roads/cs4/ |url-status=live }}</ref>