Quote:
Originally Posted by ken0042
I don't think you get it FireFly. Let me give you a specific example.
9th ave and 5th street SW. Walking south on 5th street on the east side of the street (passing by Cowboy's) the walk sign goes to flashing, and then to solid "don't walk" for a good 10 seconds prior to the main light going amber. Why is this? So that southbound traffic has a chance to turn east on 9th ave. Otherwise with all the pedestrian traffic the cars have no chance to turn.
That would cause traffic to back up on 5th street, then back up on 6th ave, then back up on 4th street, then back up on 9th ave, then you have gridlock.
What the city is trying to do is prevent gridlock, without having to specifically put a green turn arrow from a one way street one another one way.
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Thanks Ken, I'm not an idiot. I know why they do it. I realize it's to prevent gridlock, and for sure, the person who starts walking about 5 seconds after the hand starts flashing is an idiot. I always jog across when I know that the hand is flashing. Another option would be to only have a crosswalk at the other side of the street, but then that would make too much sense in a city full of one ways. My point is, get over it. I'm in just as much a rush as you are. If you can speed through a yellow, so can I, and the flashing hand is the pedestrian equivilant of the yellow light. The city knows pedestrians do it, and that's why they give you the extra 10 seconds at the end with a steady hand to get through. Not that it stops some drivers from going 2 or 3 seconds into the red and slowing up the traffic going the other way. Why are you not upset at them? They're slowing you down too?
It's all just pedestrian discrimination.