Pedestrian Crosswalk Buttons

[The Funky Llama]

So at crosswalks there are often these buttons that you hit that supposedly make the light turn red quicker so you can cross.

I've always suspected that they don't actually do anything and are just there to make pedestrians think they can cross sooner so that they don't jaywalk.

Does anyone actually know if they do anything and, if so, to what degree they affect the light?

[DonkeyKongSr]

A) There is a popular recent thread abotu things that don't work where this is mentioned.
B) They work almost always in Southern California, as far as I've seen, although they seem to be adding automatic ones in really, really busy foot traffic intersections. Otherwise, if I don't hit the button, I don't cross the street.

[SmileyEH]

In western mass where I go to school the buttons cause all the lights to go red for about 30 seconds sometime in the next cycle. Completely retarded. Especially because 90% of people walk up to the intersection at 9pm with hardly any traffic, push the button and run across. A minute later every car has to wait while the [censored] in question walks down the street a block away.

[punkass]

I know a couple intersections with these near where I work. If you press the button, on the next red light switch, it keeps all traffic lights red, and lets pedestrians walk for 10 seconds. If you never press the button, the street lights just do their thing, never letting pedestrians cross.

[tuq]

OP,

As someone who is unhealthily obsessed with traffic engineering, if you don't think those buttons do something you are fkn high.

Even as a kid I used to play golf at a course right next to a signal with a button. Kids love pressing buttons. I'd run out to the signal and press the button and delight in how the traffic would have to wait an extra 10-30 seconds to get to their destination.

Well-run cities have traffic cycles; the point of the buttons is to give a low-traffic cross street longer time to complete their cycle, instead of pushing the major artery forward. This basic concept also serves to punish people for taking back roads by forcing them to sit through long cycles. If there was more green for a side street there would be more temptation to cut through neighborhoods.

[Alobar]

in my experience, it depends on the intersection.

Some intersections the button makes the light turn green quicker, other ones it doesnt make the light turn green any quicker, it just means that when it turns green it stays green a little longer (time enough to walk across the street).

At really busy intersections I dont think it does [censored] tho. I think it might if it was like 3am and the traffic was light enough that you being there actually merits a different light sequence then it had planned then it would revert to one of the options above, but otherwise the interesction is so buys that it doesnt matter. Its not going green sooner just cuz your there, and it sure isnt going to last longer.

[SixT4]

The buttons near my university accomodation make the lights change instantly if they haven't been used in a while

[Dids]

They work, but often they're superceeded by other programming on the intersection, I assume. I expect you'll find them more responsive in non-peak hours.

[tuq]

[ QUOTE ]
They work, but often they're superceeded by other programming on the intersection, I assume. I expect you'll find them more responsive in non-peak hours.

[/ QUOTE ]
This is pretty correct. To be fair, there are all types of signal programs, some act independently of others but in most big cities they're synchronized.

There are plenty of "on demand" signals, usually in far-flung areas or in low traffic areas that are still busy enough to warrant a signal which will cater to your whim, but more commonly you're bound to a cycle, and pushing the button will get you your turn but only when the cycle comes around. The cycle is longer during rush hours to accommodate more and slower traffic, so it's possible that if you just miss your window by a couple of seconds you could sit 2-3 minutes waiting for it to come around again.

[Klompy]

I always thought there is 2 kinds of stoplights with these buttons. Type #1 when you push the button it makes the actual lights change quicker so that you can cross. Type #2 the only thing that happens when you push the crosswalk button is that when it's time for the light to change on its own, the walk light lights up also, but pushing the button has no change on how long it takes for the light to actualy change.

I'm pretty sure buttons on different lights do different things.