Do the "Press To Walk" buttons at intersections really work?

Question

Everytime I arrive at an intersection, I press the "Press To Walk" button, but it doesn't seem to make the lights change any faster.

Therefore, my question is:

Do the "Press To Walk" buttons at intersections really work?

And, if so, how do they work?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

yes but only if you push it.

Answer 2

In Southern CA, they definitely work. If you don't press them, the walk sign will never appear and you'll be waiting at the corner forever...

Once pressed, when appropriate, the signal light will change and allow pedestrians the right of way

Answer 3

The button signals the control circuit the same way that a car

does when it crosses the loop embedded in the road.  Its

doubtful that pushing the button several times has any effect.

Answer 4

so you think the world should come to a screeching halt just because you pressed the walk button. don't work that way sparky

Answer 5

It doesn't make the light change any faster.  At most intersections the walking man won't be displayed if you don't push the button.

Answer 6

This has been around and around.  Depending on how the DOT set it up, most send a signal to the controller to tell the light to change. But what the pedestrian button does differently than the inductive loop for a car is that it is suppose to give more green light time to you to cross the street safely.

Answer 7

There's only a marginal effect on major intersections. It is much more noticeable in places where a small residential street intersects with a much larger volume street. In many such places the 'cross' sign will not light up at all, unless the button has been pressed.

It also depends on how well equipped the intersection is. There are some that take traffic flow into account, and will change the lights instantly if there are no cars.

Answer 8

yeah they work. and its illegal to hit it more than 5 times

Answer 9

Yes, they do work.  And, they won't make the signals change any faster by repeated, multiple pressings.

Since you don't hang around crosswalks for no reason, you wouldn't notice it, but, if you, or someone else did not press the button, the crosswalk signal would NOT change at all.  So, it's a pretty odd statement you make that pressing the button won't make the signal change any sooner.  How would you know?

The city is not going to spend thousands of dollars, at each intersection, installing equipment that is designed to do nothing.