For all the failings, the safety issues, the clear driver blind spots, the fear I feel while using this crosswalk; it’s still my favorite. And for one reason. When you take the diagonal across the street, it’s like Moses parting the red sea. There’s a cacophony of cars crossing, whirring, spinning by, slamming brakes, accelerating to hit the green, texting on their phones. It’s absolute MADNESS. But when that cross walk sign comes on, it all stops. And sometimes you’re the lone pedestrian stopping it all. Making everyone watch you as the silence of walking takes over. This one crosswalk, a few simple hashed lines, blocks every single available option for vehicles to take. There is no right on red, no sneaking through. The pedestrian gains the power to completely over rule traffic and the cars become powerless. It’s amazing.
This is what it looks like. It’s your typical intersection, but with a fifth input. This adds two more crosswalks than usual, but the most important one is the diagonal across the center.
But when you cross it turns into this. Blocking every direction of travel and forcing every single direction of traffic to stop.
Now there are a few bollards that I’m not including, and obviously it’s not a perfect explanation. I’ve nearly been hit by cars taking a right on red and there are a multitude of other safety concerns. But the contrast between cars flying by you and traffic racing to when everyone is stopped and you’re the lone pedestrian holding up single occupancy drivers rushing home and texting about dinner plans, when you’re the one who has the power to create that respite in the afternoon rush hour by the push of a button and some patience, now that’s power. And that’s why this is my favorite crosswalk.