Pedestrian Scrambles May Come to Downtown

I was just crossing the street at a plainly marked crosswalk between Milwaukee and Erie. This crosswalk has yellow flashing lights for the cars traveling on Milwaukee. When I was at the halfway point in the crosswalk crossing over Milwaukee, a speeding car approached me then slowed down and then flipped me off as he sort of stopped.  It wasn't like I suddenly left the curb and dashed in front of his car.  What bitches.  I just would like to get rid of the flashing yellow lights and install a red light traffic signal (or at minimum a stop sign)...should I start with the Alderman in the 27th Ward?  As a side note, in July 2010, Gov. Pat Quinn signed a state law requiring vehicles to make a full stop if a pedestrian is WAITING to cross, or if he is in the process of crossing, at a non-controlled (no traffic lights) crosswalk. illinois Vehicle Code Sec. 11‑1002  Paragraph (E) "...or at a plainly marked crosswalk between intersections, drivers shall yield right-of-way to pedestrians ..." 

The technical term for these is Barnes Dance and they are named after Mr. Barnes, a traffic engineer here in Denver. While I am not a fan of them, the reason they were removed was that the transit agency needed to run longer trains and needed to adjust the traffic light phasing cycle. In order to get a few extra seconds they had to steal them from the Barnes Dance cycle. You might want to read up on the history and removal of them here: http://www.denverpost.com/news...

I moved to Chicago from Denver last year, and my overriding memory of the intersections in Denver was sitting at redlights at midnight with no pedestrians and no traffic able to move.  Ugh.

Traffic (auto, bike, or foot) in Chicago is so different from Denver - not lwast because the downtown area is greater than about 4 square blocks- that comparisons should be almost impossible to make.

(I don't mean to come across as anti-Denver, I love that city.)

You are so right.  Denver traffic is worlds different than Chicago.  There is simply no comparison, and thinking something that did (or did not) work there will (or will not) work here is foolhardy. 
 

I think 'pedestrian scramble' is an unfortunate term. It does not make me think of crossing the street diagonally (which I do, often, though not busy streets).

... the seeming war on pedestrian traffic that occurred during the previous
administration. In 2004, then-head of the City Office of Emergency
Management Andrew Velasquez proposed empowering traffic control aides
with ticketing pedestrians who crossed the street against the crosswalk
or within the crosswalk, but against the light.

It's interesting, too, that we seem to be defining the enforcement of rules of the road for pedestrians as a "war on pedestrian traffic," while last week we were applauding the enforcement of these rules for cyclists. I would say you could cut pedestrian accidents in half while simultaneously improving traffic flow for everybody simply by ticketing people who cross against lights or in the middle of intersections.

Totally agree that ticketing pedestrians who break the law is anything but a "war on pedestrian traffic."

Chuck isn't the only person in the Chicago media to throw that type of phrase out there.  I would be very, very interested to hear a defense of allowing lawless pedestrian behavior.  (And please do not consider my desire to punish pedestrian lawbreakers as a defense of bad drivers or a desire to make walking less safe.  Silly idealist that I am, I would think that if pedestrians, bikers and drivers all followed the rules and the rules were actually enforced, this would be a much more pleasant city to live in overall.)

I can only conclude, since I didn't grow up here, that vehicle and road safety education is severely lacking, as no one (drivers, pedestrian, or cyclists) seem to think that there are actually rules that should govern how they act and interact with each other on a street and in traffic. 

The issue isn't education issue so much as an adherence one.

I did grow up in, and live in, Chicago - for 29 years. We are educated in how to use the roads but everyone thinks the light is "not for them". Hell, I even got hit by a car crossing near Chicago/Dearborn and I had the WALK signal.

The Wiki article you linked to indicates that Denver made these illegal in May of this year, which suggests that they do not work.

Just like the whole debate with bikes, it comes down to people following already pre-existing rules, and handing out tickets when they don't (to cars and pedestrians alike).

Cars -- pedestrians have the right of way in a crosswalk in the middle of a street.  You many  not like it, but you are legally required to stop for them.  If the city/state would install crosswalk/yield signs at
non-intersection crosswalks as states like Maine and Washington do, they
could eliminate alot of confusion and problems.   Also, at an intersection, if a pedestrian is crossing on a walk signal, don't sit there and inch forward like you're going to hit them.  Trust me, you don't want to hit me, as I will sue you.  Oh, and I'll also deliberately walk slower.

Pedestrians -- when the intersection says don't walk, DON'T WALK.  It's really simple.  And don't get pissed off when a car that has a green turn signal almost hits you because you decided you were in too big a hurry, or too busy texting to pay attention.  Don't LESIURELY jaywalk diagonally down a street and just expect on-coming traffic to slow down for you.  They make crosswalks for a reason. 

Follow established traffic rules and we don't have to waste time on faddish solutions.

There's a crosswalk with a yield sign, flashing light and little center island at Chicago Ave and Hoyne and cars rarely stop for pedestrians there. It's incredibly frustrating. The funny thing is - I've been in the middle of crosswalks waiting for cars to stop and police cars don't even stop!  

It also takes an extended period of enforcement.  The states I've listed have well documented histories of ticketing drivers of who do not stop for pedestrians in crosswalks (or slow down when approaching), and they also ticket pedestrians who do not follow crosswalk signs. 

We have an entire division of traffic enforcement that never seems to do that -- enforce traffic laws.  The people policing the intersections in the Loop don't ticket jaywalkers, they don't ticket cars that run red lights, they don't ticket cars that make turns out of non-turn lanes (I see a cab do that at least once a week).  They just stand on the corner holding their little orange baton and scream uselessly at the crowd.  Empower them to actually USE that little ticket book they all carry.  

Take a look at Franklin and Monroe any time of the day, just to name one example. Pedestrian scrambles already happen.

Holy Christ, is that intersection ever a shitshow. 

Without fail, there are always at least 3 people who apparently have NO IDEA  (or just don't care) that there's a left turn arrow for cars going southbound on Franklin, walk into the street, nearly get clocked by cars turning east, and wind up having the effect of goatfucking traffic all the way down to Jackson and over west of Wacker. Shitshow.

You're so cool and edgy, using words like goatfuck and shitshow.  

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Spam is so lame.