NYC Crosswalk Buttons are Inoperative 569
cdneng2 writes "NY Times has an article that New
York crosswalk push buttons are actually ineffective.
Apparently, New York City deactivated most of the pedestrian
buttons long ago with the emergence of computer-controlled
traffic signals. From the article, 'More than 2,500 of the 3,250
walk buttons that still exist function essentially as mechanical
placebos, city figures show.' Well, apparently New York city isn't
the only city like this. I guess the answer lies in the same
reason why people press
the elevator button more than once."
not only pushing twice (Score:2, Insightful)
everytime i see someone whos doing that i want to punch him
Placebo Buttons are useful (Score:4, Insightful)
Since you don't get any feedback, it doesn't really satisfy and I'm always left with the feeling that it didn't register the request at all.
I knew this already (Score:3, Insightful)
The downside to this timer approach is that you often wait for nobody at red lights at 3am. Stooopid lazy NYC planners.
Either that or the trigger antennas that they would need to place under the roadway can't take the winter punishment.
--dv
They aren't really necessary... (Score:4, Insightful)
Even more fun (Score:3, Insightful)
So you wind up having to get off the bike, walk to the pedestrian button, hit it, get back on, and wait. Given this, I wish everything worked like New York in this regard.
Button, button (Score:3, Insightful)
In fact, in the building where I work now, there are two banks of elevators: one for the lower half of the building and another for the upper half (plus ground floor). They all look identical, and so one would think they were. Not so. The lower ones are not only much slower, but also have ineffective Close Door buttons. What possible thinking could be behind this, I don't know.
Around Here... (Score:4, Insightful)
Except for crosswalks (where there is no cross street), all the buttons do is turn on the walk signal when the light turns green. They don't change the timing any. Thanks a lot, public works, I could've figured it out myself.
To make matters more interesting, one of the crosswalks takes so long to change that whoever pressed the button has usually jaywalked by the time it changes.
Re:Most Dangerous Intersections (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Elevator close door buttons (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Psychology at work... (Score:5, Insightful)
As for using the open/close buttons or pressing more than once, I think that's a "I'm in a hurry" signal. I don't understand why it's important to communicate this, but if you pay attention people usually signal one way or another whether or not they are in a hurry.
Now as far as the crosswalk signs go, I thought they actually worked and were put there so pedestrians didn't have to wait for a car to trip the signal lights. Downtown areas seem to have these buttons less, which makes sense since there's more likely to be cross traffic or the lights are timed rather than triggered by demand. I'm surpised to hear there are dummy boxes out there.
Re:Most Dangerous Intersections (Score:5, Insightful)
I live in NYC (wait for the light to change - no point in pushing the button). On my trip to England I was doing the same thing (well, until I figured it out [after a few minutes waiting for the light to change]).
Oh, yeah, and THANKS for the `look ->' signs. If it weren't for those, I'd be road kill. Almost got ran over by a bus when I steped out of the airport.
No... (Score:2, Insightful)
You can be an amateur and still get paid.
Re:They're not doing it right! (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:What they really do (Score:3, Insightful)
I think it's a reasonably fair expectation, as long as the intersection falls into the first two categories (which is most of the intersections I walk at, but wouldn't be the case for most intersections in a downtown setting)
The intersections I tend to use fall into several categories:
1) There is minimal traffic in the direction I cross in, thus pushing the button gives instant satisfaction, since the primary direction has had plenty of time to go anyhow.
2) The primary direction of traffic is in the direction I cross. Some of these intersections will change the the signal to walk without waiting for a red, others I just walk through against the don't walk, cause it's safe.
3) Both directions have heavy traffic, and the button only makes sure I have enough time to walk across, oh well. Many of these intersections don't even have buttons, since as you noted they're not necessary, either there is enough pedestrian volume, or the cycle is long enough for pedestrians anyhow.
4) I'm crossing a major thoroughfare, which has a long green time, so I tend to get the fuzzy end of the lollypop, unless i get lucky with timing.
Re:Most Dangerous Intersections (Score:5, Insightful)
(a) the pedestrian sensor looks at the centre of the area where pedestrians would stand. But the buttons are right at the edge of that area. And cyclists can't move sideways.
(b) No mention of how long it takes from pressing a button to getting a green light. My guess is that it's "2 minutes, or when there's no traffic, whichever is earlier"
Which means that yes, the light does indeed fail to stop traffic if it can possibly avoid doing so. Remember that by the time the button is pushed, someone is already waiting
Having lights which take so long to react seems quite dangerous, because people will give up and cross anyway, and almost get hit by a police car
As to 'pre-timed max', surely imposing a "minimum time between stopping cars" doesn't have any effect if the crossing was just waiting there doing nothing for 10 minutes before I arrived? Unless it sets a minimum time for pedestrians to wait, which is just too dumb to even contemplate.
Re:Psychology at work... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Most Dangerous Intersections (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Could be even worse (Score:3, Insightful)
If your true goal was to keep people alive, instead of maximizing convenience for drivers at the expense of everyone else, you would lower speed limits, eliminate right turn on red, create four way stops, and add time for pedestrians to cross when no turns are allowed.
Re:Explanation (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Most Dangerous Intersections (Score:5, Insightful)
Most cabs in NYC are driven 24 hours per day. As one driver gets out the next one takes over. If one damages the cab TWO drivers are out of a job because New York rules are very strict - no taxi can operate with damaged body panels. Few drivers work for taxi companies where they get a replacement if they wreck the cab.
I ride a bicycle most days in Manhattan and I have very few problems with taxi drivers. The most reckless drivers in NYC are far and away Post Office trucks. Next worse are the the SUVs with Jersey plates. Of all the vehicles in Manhattan, taxis are probably the best driven.
Re:Most Dangerous Intersections (Score:3, Insightful)
Tom