traffic island

American  

noun

1. a raised or marked-off area between lanes of a roadway, used by pedestrians to get out of the flow of traffic, as a place for traffic signals, for separating lanes, etc.

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traffic island British  

noun

1. a raised area in the middle of a road, designed as a guide for traffic and to provide a stopping place for pedestrians

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Etymology

Origin of traffic island

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

As we neared the end of the tour, we stopped through Verdi Square, the irregularly shaped traffic island named for the Italian opera composer.

From Salon • Dec. 25, 2023

Near a subway station entrance on a busy traffic island, the gesture transformed a private function accommodated by Duchamp’s found object into a desperate social act, which Hammons titled “Pissed Off.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2023

However, while responding to the emergency call she drove the wrong way round a traffic island and had been driving over 60mph in a 30mph zone moments before she hit Khia, the court heard.

From BBC • May 19, 2023

The bronze statue of Columbus, erected in 1877 atop a pedestal in a traffic island, had been defaced by protesters in the past, and officials took it down last year, amid threats of further damage.

From New York Times • Oct. 14, 2021

One man sat on a traffic island in the middle of the road holding a sign saying in Dutch “This is a dead end road,” while others parked a truck blocking the road.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 11, 2021