Finally, the last type of crosswalk that I’ve seen is an electric signal that, when a button is pushed by a pedestrian on either side of the street, lights up--usually flashing red or yellow--and is accompanied by several metal signs that say things like “Crosswalk Here,” “Watch for Pedestrians When Flashing” and so on. Sometimes the flashing lights even extend across the intersection, like a traffic signal for cars. You usually only get this latter type of sign in a school zone, near a nursing home, or when several pedestrian deaths have occurred at a given intersection. I’ve seen maybe three of those flashing signs in the entire year I’ve lived in my city. No doubt, local governments think they’re too expensive to build (although I’d wager they are cheaper than a standard traffic light for automobiles).

With the exception of this rare flashing light crosswalk, I think the other two types do a poor job of warning drivers. As a driver, even when I am doing my absolute best to stop for pedestrians waiting to cross, there are just times when a truck is parked too close to the intersection for me to see the pedestrian, or times when someone in a wheelchair approaches the crosswalk but I don’t see him in time to slow my vehicle and let him pass. The signs are not being seen. On a wide, fast-moving stroad this is almost always the case.

The problem is that unlike a stop sign, at which drivers must always halt their vehicle, a crosswalk is viewed by many drivers as optional or only relevant in some cases i.e. when a pedestrian is present. A driver traveling at 35 or 40 miles an hour along a stroad might see that yellow diamond out of the corner of her eye but it’s unlikely that she’ll also be able to 1) notice whether or not a person is standing near the sign and, if so, 2) slow down in time to come to a complete halt in order for the pedestrian to cross. The driver is simply moving too fast to do all of this mental, optical and physical coordination at once. Such instantaneous stopping would only be consistently feasible if we built flashing light signage at every intersection. And we all know that’s not going to happen.

I’ve had this experience numerous time where I notice a crosswalk sign on a busy stroad while I’m out walking, and all I can do is shake my head and laugh, because I know that only 5% of cars are actually going to obey the sign. Even if I stood in front of it yelling and waving my hands, I’d be very surprised if a car actually stopped. Has anyone else had this experience while looking at a crosswalk? They seem like an utterly futile effort, like whispering “Turn down your music” to a neighbor who is blasting a huge stereo system at full volume. It's never going to succeed.

What should happen, and what would essentially eliminate the need for crosswalks, is to narrow our streets with road diets (or more permanent methods), and in doing so, naturally slow the speed of cars. When everyone is driving slower, it will be much easier to keep on the lookout for pedestrians attempting to cross, and much safer for pedestrians to step out into the street instead of having to wait 5 minutes for a break in cars--in spite of the fact that there’s a sign telling the drivers they legally have to stop. At speeds of 15 or 20 mph, it is much easier for drivers to notice walkers and respond accordingly. In this scenario, crosswalk signs can have a positive impact, nudging drivers to keep an eye out for pedestrians.