Stop making pedestrians hit buttons to cross the street.
The infuriating reality of the war against pedestrians
One of the most frustrating experiences as a pedestrian is to get to a light the moment after it changes, finding that you had to hit a button just to get the walk signal. After only arriving a few seconds too late, you now have no pedestrian signal, poised on the edge of the crosswalk wondering if you should risk crossing without it.
It may seem simple. It may seem unimportant. But it’s just another little slight that adds to the general inconvenience of being a pedestrian in the United States.
More than anything, these pedestrian signals are cues to drivers that pedestrians might be crossing. So even if you (the pedestrian) has time to cross, the fact that you didn’t get a pedestrian signal means it’s that much more dangerous to get to the sidewalk on the other side.
This is all happening in a country where being a pedestrian has gotten increasingly dangerous, especially with the recent influx of bigger trucks and SUVs. Everytime you’re out walking, you’re putting your life at risk just to cross the street, with distracted drivers in large vehicles looming at every interesection.
What if it was the opposite? What if we made cars have to wait until they arrived at the light to make it change? Would that piss off drivers?
Yes, pedestrians could cross the street without the signal, but the lack of a signal makes it even more unsafe to cross the street with dangerous drivers out and about. The signal gives you a semblance of safety, at least informing impatient drivers that pedestrians will be crossing.
The common saying “Pedestrians have the right of way” should be the key phrase here. People walking through American cities shouldn't have to go out of their way to cross the street, especially considering they’re the most powerless in the transportatione equation.
Pushes by automakers to make crimes of things like “jaywalking” were the start of this ongoing fight against pedestrian rights, and the fight continues with inadequate pedestrian facilities across U.S. streets.
Like any pedestrian, I can’t tell you the amount of times that I’ve had drivers cut off the pedestrian walkway, or take aggressive turns as pedestrians are trying to cross the street. You can feel the impatience boiling as cars wait to turn, inching forward even as pedestrians block their way.
The Solution to Pedestrian Buttons
The solution? The pedestrian signal should always be on when the light changes, there to signal that pedestrians might be crossing. Pedestrian safety and ease of transportation shouldn’t hinge on a button that may or may not be working, especially in zones of high pedestrian traffic.
There is one caveat where the “pedestrian button” actually makes sense: If a button actually shortens the wait time for pedestrians, then it’s worth being there.
There are some buttons that are programmed to change the light faster once a pedestrian hits it. In the transportation lexicon, this button is what is called “hot response”, and has a real benefit to pedestrians when used. These also make sense for the mid-street crossings that activiate warning lights for drivers to stop.
If the only function of the button is to turn on the pedestrian signal when the light changes, then it’s a waste. In this case, the button is only there to punish pedestrians and empower drivers.
This shouldn’t be an issue, especially considering that everyone is a pedestrian at some point or another, and will eventually be put into an unsafe position while crossing a street.
Even the people driving the ridiculously big trucks and SUVs are pedestrians from time to time, even though they rarely act like it.
We have to give pedestrians as much leeway as possible in the city, not take it away. These little details, like not arriving at the crosswalk in time to press the stupid button, are what contribute it to being a high-friction way to navigate a city.
No buttons in high-traffic pedestrians areas should be the bare minimum for what is required, though I would argue that any other button other than “hot response” ones is bad for pedestrians, no matter where they are walking.
As the Arlington County Transportation Commision put it:
“Signals should be adjusted so that pedestrians never have to push a button in order to cross safely and legally throughout the Metro Corridors and in other areas of high pedestrian activity…”
Yet I still arrive to high-traffic walking areas and have to push a button just to cross an intersection.
What do you think? Should we make pedestrians hit buttons to cross the street?
One of the resources I consulted for this article:
https://www.arlnow.com/2021/09/01/modern-mobility-beg-buttons-its-not-about-pushing-the-button/