Observation: Crosswalk Button

At certain intersections, the city offers a push button at the pedestrian crosswalk with a sign that reads, “To cross street, push botton, wait for signal, wait for walk signal.”

Hypothesis: People love to push buttons. It give us a sense of control. So, people push the crosswalk button. And perhaps they push it several times to make sure it’s been pressed. They’ll keep checking for the green light to get a confirmation that the button had caused a series of events that will lead to a signal change in the very near future. People may also have slow responses to the changed green signal.

dsc09995.jpgSite:Location: 2 crosswalks 50′ apart, each with an island along the mediation strip between 6 lanes of vehicular traffic at Christopher and West St. Approximately 50 paces to cross.  1:30pm, 9/17/2007

Scenario #01:
Single male approaches red light. 25 years old.
25 seconds into waiting, stares at incoming traffic
44 seconds into waiting, stares across street, perhaps at traffic signal
58 seconds into waiting, light turns green. Begins walking immediately. (52 paces to the other side of the street)

Scenario #02:
Single male approaches red light. 40 years old
4 seconds into waiting, switches to a crosswalk 50 feet away
30 seconds into waiting, takes 6 paces
37 seconds, 4 paces
43 seconds, bites nails
58 seconds, 4 paces
1:07, bites nails
1:20, paces
1:30, green light, immediately walks, takes 52 paces to cross.

Scenario #03:
Single female, 50
:00, rub hands
:30, 2 paces
:40, stares at traffic
1:06, rub hands
1:18, wipe hands on pants
1:26, green, immediate 62paces

Scenario #04:
Single female, 30
:20 , stares at traffic
:45, looks away
:53, stares at traffic
1:11, green, immediate 72 paces, crosses diagonally

Scenario #05:
Single, approaches on blinking red
:00, stares at traffic,
:03, glances across street
:30, 2 paces forward anticipating low traffic
1:03, steps back
1:08, green, walks immediately
1:19, reaches the other side

Scenario #06:
Single on red, no oncoming traffic
:00, waits, looks around
1:30, green, walks immediately
1:55, checks for green signal on island
2:00, reaches other side of the street

Scenario #07:
3 people and a stoller
:40, checks straps on stroller
:50, checks shoes
1:00, hugs baby
1:11, kisses baby
1:18, green
1:20, walks
1:33, fixes strap on stroller at 3/4 across the crosswalk, red blinking
1:37, walks

Scenario #08:
Single male in uniform
:00, waits 10 feet from curb
:18, takes 1 step back
:26, tip toe rocking motion
:34, 3 steps forward
:42, 1 step back
1:00, 1 step back
1:03, green, walks diagonally

Scenario #09:
2 female, 27
:02, pushes button
:18, talking and scratching
:32, fixes ear piercing
1:02, green, walks
1:24, arrives across street diagonally

Scenario #10:
Single runner with earbuds
:07, stretches
:15, tilts head, stares at traffic
:35, scratches ankle
:38, green, immediately jogs across
:48, reaches other side

Scenario #11:
Single
:04, presses button
:12, walks away from crosswalk
:39, returns to crosswalk
1:09, green, walk

Scenario #12:
Single on island
:10, talks on cellphone
:20 lowers shopping bags
:31, lifts bags
:40, 5 paces
:50, stares at traffic
1:23, stares at people
1:30, green, walks

Scenario #13:
Single on bike
:1o, fixes shirt
:20, bikes in circle
:30, bikes in circle
:50, bikes in semicircle
1:00, stops
1:07, green, bikes across immediately

Scenario #14:
Single, hands in pocket
:25, checks sneakers for dirt
:37, stares at signal
1:00, stares at traffic
1:10, green, walks

Scenario #15:
Single, dancing with earbuds
:00, stares at traffic
1:00, green, walks

Scenario #16:
Single, runs across on red
:07, stuck on island, stares at traffic
:34, picks at bushes in median strip, stares at traffic
1:10, checks time on cellphone
1:23, picks flower from bushes
1:29, green, walks

Scenario #17:
Single with 3 bags
:13, 4 steps towards curb
:14, stares at traffic
:37, 3 paces
:58, 2 paces
1:22, green, walks

Scenario #18:
Single female runner, 30
:18, wipe eyes
:34, 1 pace
:39, stares at traffic
:50, green, walks

Scenario #19:
Single female runner, 30
:03, pushes button
:17, 2 paces
:28, wips sweat
:35, stares at traffic
:48, spits on ground
1:13, spits
1:14, green, runs

Scenario #20:
Single male, 30
:00, stares at traffic
:16, stares at pedestrians
:24, stares at traffic
:40, stares at pedestrians
:46, green, walks 48 paces across

Scenario #21:
Two female, 50
:00, pushes button
:17, stares at traffic
:20, talks to each other
:35, checks map
:49, stares at traffic
1:02, green, walks 48 paces across

Scenario #22:
Single male, 30
:13, repositions earbuds
:28, checks music on ipod
:49, glances at traffic
1:05, stares at traffic
1:18, checks sneakers
1:24, green, walks
1:50, reaches other side

Scenario #23:
Single female with child and baby in stroller
:04, pushes button
:18, stares at traffic
:21, green, walks 50 paces across

Scenario #24:
Single male, 50
:00, at island
:09, 6 paces, sits
:35, stands up
:46, stares at traffic
:54, 10 paces
1:10, pushes button
1:16, green, walks 16 paces across

Scenario #25:
Single male, 30
:08, walks on red light
:16, reaches island
:26, stares at traffic
:41, cracks knuckles
:50, green, walks diagonally

Scenario #26:
Single on bike
:27, stares at traffic with armes crossed
:56, green, bikes

Scenario #27:
Single female, 25
:18, fixes hair
:19, stares at traffic
:32, green, walks
1:00, reaches othe side, 100 paces

Scenario #28:
Single female, 25
:00, pushes button
:17, checks signal
:26, sips coffee
:33, sip
:51, sip
1:00, 5 paces
1:05, green, walks 52 paces across

Scenario #29:
Single male, 40
:10, looks down
:18, green, walks 51 paces across

Scenario #30:
Two female
:07, 2 paces
:13, stares at traffic
:29, pushes button
:41, stares at traffic
:49, pushes button
:56, stares at traffic
1:05, green, walks 56 paces across

pre-conclusion: So it turns out, the pushing of the button actually does nothing. It’s simply a placebo since the late 1980’s. 2,500 of the 3,250 push buttons in the city have been replaced by computerized systems (via nytimes article, For Exercise in New York Futility, Push Button and WABC, March 22, 2004). People also rarely look at the traffic signal, they rely more on viewing and hearing oncoming traffic to deduce whether traffic has stopped to allow pedestrians to cross or not. Few even bother to push the button. According to the WABC article, the intersection at Hicks and Sackett in Brooklyn has a working button, so I went to see for myself.

dsc00083.jpgSite:Hicks and Sackett, Brooklyn, NY. The crosswalk connects the end of Hicks street to the pedestrian bridge over the BQE and spans approximately 12 paces across a 2 lane street. 1:40pm, 9/20/2007

Scenario #01:
Single male, 40
:07, checks for traffic
:08, walks on red

Scenario #02:
Single male, 25
:02, pushes button
:15, green
:16, checks traffic
:17, walk

Scenario #03:
3 female + 3 suitcases
:02, pushes button
:20, inches to curb, checks traffic
:26, walks on red
:34, green

Scenario #04:
Single male, 40
:00, hands in pocket
:25, checks traffic, walks on red

Scenario #05:
Single male, 25
:00, pushes button with thumb
:05, checks traffic
:07, checks signal
:08, checks traffic
:22, green, walks

Scenario #06:
Single male, 40
:00, checks traffic
:02, checks signal
:03, walks on red

Scenario #07:
Single male, 30
:00, checks traffic, walks on red

Scenario #08:
Single female, 40
:20, green light, fixes handbag
:31, red light
:43, stares at traffic
1:02, walks on red

Scenario #09:
Single female, 40
:02, checks traffic
:04, checks signal
:07, green, walks

Scenario #10:
Single male, 25
:00, walks on red
:01, checks traffic

Scenario #11:
Single male, 25
:00, pushes button
:01, checks traffic
:02, walks

Scenario #12:
:01, checks traffic in opposite direction
:03, checks traffic in both ways
:06, walks

Scenario #13:
Single female, 25
:00, run on red, check traffic, check signal

Scenario #14:
Single male, 60
:00, walk on red, check signal

Scenario #15:
Single male, 60
:00, run, check traffic
:01, walk

Scenario #16:
Single female
:03, pushes button
:09, adjust belt
:10, green, walks

Scenario #17:
Single male
:05, stares a traffic
:07, checks signal, walks on red

Scenario #18:
Single male, on phone
:00, checks traffic
:02, walks on red

Scenario #19:
Single female, 30. with stroller
:00, checks signal, walks on blinking red

Scenario #20:
Single male, 25
:00, checks traffic
:01, walks on red
:02, checks traffic

Scenario #21:
Single male, 30. on cell phone
:00, walks on green, stares at traffic

Scenario #22:
Single male
:00, walks on red, checks signal, checks traffic

Scenario #23:
Single female, 25
:00, pushes button
:01, checks traffic
:02, walks on red

Scenario #24:
Single female, 30. with earbuds
:03, checks traffic
:04, looks behind
:05, checks traffic
:15, walks on red

Scenario #25:
Single male, 30. with grocery bag
:00, checks signal
:02, green, walks

Scenario #26:
Single female, 20
:00, checks traffic
:03, checks signal
:04, checks traffic
:05, checks signal
:06, checks traffic
:07, walks on red

Scenario #28:
A couple, 25
:00, pushes button
:01, checks traffic
:03, checks signal
:04, checks traffic
:05, adjusts hat
:07, checks traffic
:12, stretches
:15, green, walks

Scenario #29:
Single male, 20
:00, checks signal
:01, green, walks

Scenario #30:
Single male, 30. smoking
:00, checks traffic
:02, walks on red

Scenario #31:
Single male
:00, checks traffic
:01, checks signal
:04, 2 paces
:07, 1 pace back
:10, checks signal
:15, checks traffic
:16, checks signal
:18, checks traffic
:20, 2 paces back
:25, checks traffic
:28, walks on red

Scenario #32:
Single female, 25
:00, check traffic
:01, 1 pace back
:03, check traffic
:10, green
:12, check traffic
:13, walk

Scenario #33:
Single female
:00, check traffic
:01, walk on red
:02, green

Scenario #34:
Single male wth bike
:00, on phone
:10, checks traffic
:12, 2 paces
:13, walks on red

Conclusion: I turns out, the Hicks and Sackett crosswalk’s pusbutton doesn’t work as well. I approached a traffic person, that happened to be there, and asked if the button works. She replied, yes. But we both sat there and timed the changing signals to confirmed that the button does nothing. She had been pushing the button all these years for kids on their way to school. A woman getting ready to cross the street pushes the button, and the traffic person yells, “don’t push. it change by isselffff!” Yes, but people push anyways. She kindly explained the situation the the woman as she walked over to our side. That was the first and last time I saw her trying explaining the dummy button situation.