Question: With the recent increase in police ticketing pedestrians for entering crosswalks when the "don’t walk" light is on, it seems appropriate to ask, Exactly what do the flashing numbers indicate? Are they telling you how long an average person would take to cross the street and that you shouldn’t enter the crosswalk when they are flashing? If so, then each crosswalk should be consistent in the number of seconds allowed based on the distance traveled. This is not the case. One example: the crosswalk at School and Liliha streets allows 26 seconds to cross, yet the much longer crosswalk at King and Punchbowl streets also shows 26 seconds. There are numerous other examples.
Answer: First, once the countdown begins, no one is supposed to begin crossing.
As we’ve explained previously — bit.ly/1R7eokr — the numbers are to let pedestrians already in the crosswalk know how much time they have left to cross.
The flashing numbers accompany "don’t walk" or upraised palms, which are the key signals.
Section 292C-33(2) of the Hawaii Revised Statutes says, "No pedestrian shall start to cross the roadway in the direction of such signal, whether flashing or steady, but any pedestrian who has partially completed the pedestrian’s crossing on the Walk or Walking Person signal shall complete the crossing … while the Don’t Walk or Upraised Palm signal is showing."
Meanwhile, two factors determine the crossing time, as set forth in the federal Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, explained Michael Formby, director of the city’s Department of Transportation Services.
The first is the width of the street; the second, the population makeup of the neighborhood.
"These two factors in combination result in the countdown times possibly being different," Formby said.
The average walking speed, per the federal manual, is 3.5 feet per second. Thus, the time to complete a crossing would depend on how wide the street is.
The second factor is the demographics of the neighborhood.
"If a neighborhood has a high senior/elderly population, Transportation Services can decrease the walking speed to 3 feet per second," he said.
While community concerns are taken into consideration, Formby said the department tries "not to deviate from national best practices, as we expose the city to litigation in the event of an incident."
Question: Will the planned pedestrian crossing at Dole Street and St. Louis Drive be a stoplight, to help with vehicular traffic and pedestrian safety, or a caution light, just focused on pedestrian safety? Will it be operational soon?
Answer: A Kokua Line reader asked about protecting pedestrians at that intersection in April 2003, which has led, 12 years later, to the soon-to-be-operational pedestrian crossing lights.
(See bit.ly/1AACN7J.)
The crosswalk at Dole and St. Louis will be pedestrian-activated flashing lights alerting motorists to pedestrians crossing, similar to the lights on King Street, near Times Super Market.
Unlike the King Street lights, however, the Dole Street lights will be electric and should have fewer maintenance issues, said Michael Formby, director of the city Department of Transportation Services.
After the infrastructure was put in place, Hawaiian Electric Co. installed a meter and energized the lights last week. After undergoing testing, the lights are expected to be activated by Friday.
Transportation Services has been working with community associations for several years on this project and will use message boards to alert motorists when the lights are activated, Formby said.
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