Seattle: Illegal to start crossing once "don't walk" sign starts flashing

Illegal to start crossing once "don't walk" sign starts flashing

Q: Is there a rule for crossing in a crosswalk with a flashing red hand and the seconds ticking down? Ruth Wilson, of Seattle, finds some of those crossings with flashing signs and seconds a bit confusing.

"Are you to stop crossing when the red hand comes on flashing, no matter the number of seconds there are?" she asked.

She says she's noticed crossing confusion at Fourth Avenue South and South Jackson Street at the south end of downtown. If you're a driver headed west on Jackson and trying to make a right turn to northbound Fourth, you're likely to be delayed by pedestrians still trying to cross, even when the display on the signal is down to 2 or 3 seconds.

"There are many transit vehicles and cars trying to make the right turn to Fourth, and have to wait for the crosswalk to clear," she noted. Might an added delay after the pedestrian sign displays "O seconds" help to clear the intersection?

A: Those pedestrian countdown signals that display the number of seconds pedestrians have left to cross are not designed to change the law, which says a pedestrian can legally step off the curb and begin crossing only when the "walk" symbol is illuminated, according to Brian Kemper, who manages signal operations for Seattle's transportation department.

Once the "don't walk" symbol begins to flash, it is no longer lawful to leave the curb and begin crossing, he said. The countdown signals are merely intended to let pedestrians know how much time remains to finish crossing.

After the flashing "don't walk," a solid "don't walk" is displayed on the signal at the same time the traffic signal turns amber for vehicles. The transportation department figures the amber light should be long enough for vehicles to clear the intersection, or for motorists to complete a turn without competing with pedestrians in a crosswalk.

Kemper says pedestrians could be ticketed if they step off the curb after the flashing "don't walk" signal is displayed, regardless of whether it seems possible to cross the street in the remaining seconds.

LNK
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Seattle: Illegal to start crossing once "don't walk" sign starts flashing

Seattle: Illegal to start crossing once "don't walk" sign starts flashing

Anarcho-Capitalist Categorical Imperatives

Via AnCaps: Law & Enforced Unnatural Order