In case you were ever wondering, pushing the crosswalk button multiple times doesn’t get you across the street any faster than doing it once. But, if it makes you feel better to push it multiple times, it doesn’t hurt.
And, if you only push it once, there’s always a chance that you don’t push it all the way and you’ll be stuck there until the next light cycle. I always push it a couple times to make sure I don’t get stuck there for longer than I need to be.
There are some interesting comments in this post from the PI’s Seattle 911 blog, such as this from yaddayadda:
I know of at least one mechanical button that doesn’t always respond to the first tap, so I alway press them twice. I’ve also heard from an employee at sdot that there are some buttons that are completely inoperable, that the walk signal comes on every cycle, but the buttons were placed there to placate those who think they have to hit a button in order to get the walk light.
Personally, I’d rather not have buttons and have the pedestrian light come on every signal, especially in very urban areas of the city. Sometimes the buttons aren’t clear to see, and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of consistency from intersection to intersection when a pedestrian signal comes on automatically isn’t clear. Several times I’ve seen people ignore the button because they expect the light to change automatically.
Quote: Personally, I’d rather not have buttons and have the pedestrian light come on every signal, especially in very urban areas of the city. Sometimes the buttons aren’t clear to see, and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of consistency from intersection to intersection when a pedestrian signal comes on automatically isn’t clear. Several times I’ve seen people ignore the button because they expect the light to change automatically.
I agree wholeheartedly. In addition, sometimes the green pedestrian light is ridiculously short. For instance crossing Denny Way on Westlake Avenue. The green lasts all of five seconds before the red flashes. Once the light turns solid red, the vehicular traffic on Westlake continues for another couple of minutes. Until the next cycle comes around, nearly five minutes will have elapsed. So as long as the vehicular light is green, I cross–green ped light or no. (I have contacted Seattle traffic on this particular case).
Sometimes drivers get annoyed (and honk) if you cross with a red hand. But, like you say, as long as vehicles have a green light, and there is time to cross, I cross too. I suppose vehicles have the right of way at that point, at least according to the signals, but at an intersection like Westlake & Denny that has a long cycle time, it’s unreasonable to be expected to stop and wait.