Indianapolis drivers - obeying cross walk laws and pedestrians waiting (school, taxi)

[TheRickShawMan]

I have read a thread asking whether Indy is a pedestrian friendly city.

This lead me to make this thread from my observations walking through downtown and the IUPUI campus.

I am curious if there are laws in place in Indianapolis where drivers must stop for pedestrians IN THE CROSS WALK while crossing the street!?

I'm from the Seattle area where drivers for the most part stop for pedestrians who are waiting by the sidewalk and most definitely stop for pedestrians who are in the cross walk while crossing a five-lane street.

I am a student at IUPUI and I mostly walk to school in the mornings.

You'd be surprised that I have to wait decades at the cross walk for cars to stop streaming from the nearest traffic light intersection in order for me and a good bunch of other students to cross Michigan Street!

What's also riduculous about Indianapolis drivers, and I want to air this out, is that they tend to NOT stop for pedestrians in the cross walk!

I almost got hit by a speeding car down Michigan Street within the IUPUI campus while walking across the street. Out of nowhere did this car just zip out of a small street and whiz down Michigan Street without acknowledging my presence.

What are some of your guys' observations and opinions about Indy downtown drivers?

If I'm driving on the streets in my car or on the freeway...no problem. Other Indy drivers seem courteous.

But if I'm a pedestrian trying to cross a damn street, these drivers are just greedy, and don't seem to care about the welfare of pedestrians. One of these days, I won't be surprised to see a student get hit and killed here in the downtown area and will show up on local news.

[Toxic Toast]

I have never thought it to be worse than any other place I have been. Just because you are in a cross walk doesn't mean you should cross without paying any attention to the cars around you.

[Grandma(in waiting)]

This is something you are going to have to get used to in Indiana.

I moved here from another state where traffic would stop for people at crosswalks, either marked or unmarked. People just learned to slow down for them and stop if someone stepped off a curb. It is not like that here (a friend almost dislocated my shoulder yanking me back from a crosswalk..."What are you doing? Do you want to get flattened?"). Legally, yes, a motorist who strikes a pedestrian in in a marked or unmarked crosswalk would be liable, but that's cold comfort to the dead/injured pedestrian.

[dave.dawsn]

Go to a crosswalk with a light. There is one at every block downtown. I don't know what part of Seattle you're from, but I'd guess that if you try to cross in the middle of a busy street, the traffic isn't going to just stop and wait for you to mosey across. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any marked crosswalks downtown that don't have a light, so I can't really comment on that.

In my experience, drivers in Indy are courteous, but it's still city driving. You have to be on your toes and you have to use your head. I almost got lit up by a taxi on Maryland Street when I tried to cross in the middle. That dude was not stopping or slowing down...just be careful and know you're risking it if you don't want to go to a crosswalk with a light.

[domergurl]

West Coast people are the only ones who will stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk ... it's a west coast thing. In the midwest and points eastward, pedestrians need to carefully follow the signs because nobody is going to stop in the middle of the street to let you cross. People from the west coast also use the term "freeway" ... just an observation ... they are interstates or referred to by the number (465 or 65 or 70, without the word "the" in front of them)

Yea, just be aware here and it's not just Indianapolis ... pedestrians do not have the right of way unless the traffic signal has the little walker on it. I do like how the signals now have the countdown ...

[Southside Shrek]

IC 9-21-17-1
Traffic and pedestrian control signals
Sec. 1. (a) Pedestrians are subject to traffic and pedestrian control signals under this chapter.
(b) At all places that are not marked with pedestrian control signals, pedestrians are accorded the privileges and subject to the restrictions of this article.
As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.


IC 9-21-17-2
"Walk" and "don't walk" signals
Sec. 2. Whenever special pedestrian control signals exhibiting the words "walk" or "don't walk" are in place, the signals must indicate as follows:
(1) Flashing or steady "walk" means a pedestrian facing the signal may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal and a person who drives a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to the pedestrian.
(2) Flashing or steady "don't walk" means a pedestrian may not start to cross the roadway in the direction of the signal. A pedestrian who has partially completed crossing on the "walk" signal shall proceed to a sidewalk or safety island while the "don't walk" signal is showing.
As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.

IC 9-21-17-7
Crossing roadway at point not marked as a crosswalk; yield of right-of-way to traffic
Sec. 7. A pedestrian crossing a roadway at a point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.
As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.




Indiana Code 9-21-17

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by Southside Shrek

IC 9-21-17-1
Traffic and pedestrian control signals
Sec. 1. (a) Pedestrians are subject to traffic and pedestrian control signals under this chapter.
(b) At all places that are not marked with pedestrian control signals, pedestrians are accorded the privileges and subject to the restrictions of this article.
As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.


IC 9-21-17-2
"Walk" and "don't walk" signals
Sec. 2. Whenever special pedestrian control signals exhibiting the words "walk" or "don't walk" are in place, the signals must indicate as follows:
(1) Flashing or steady "walk" means a pedestrian facing the signal may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal and a person who drives a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to the pedestrian.
(2) Flashing or steady "don't walk" means a pedestrian may not start to cross the roadway in the direction of the signal. A pedestrian who has partially completed crossing on the "walk" signal shall proceed to a sidewalk or safety island while the "don't walk" signal is showing.
As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.

IC 9-21-17-7
Crossing roadway at point not marked as a crosswalk; yield of right-of-way to traffic
Sec. 7. A pedestrian crossing a roadway at a point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.
As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.9.




Indiana Code 9-21-17

and there you have it!!!

[Naptowner]

I think what the OP is talking about is a dedicated pedestrian crosswalk where there ISN'T an intersection. Read her post: "I have to wait decades at the cross walk for cars to stop streaming from the nearest traffic light intersection in order for me and a good bunch of other students to cross Michigan Street!"

She's not talking about crossing at a traffic light, but at a pedestrian crosswalk. There is one on Broad Ripple Avenue, it has a flashing yellow light and a big sign and still cars don't usually yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. It's not just Indy, but it's definitely a symptom of a city where the rights pedestrians (and bicyclists) are routinely ignored.

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by Naptowner

I think what the OP is talking about is a dedicated pedestrian crosswalk where there ISN'T an intersection. Read her post: "I have to wait decades at the cross walk for cars to stop streaming from the nearest traffic light intersection in order for me and a good bunch of other students to cross Michigan Street!"

She's not talking about crossing at a traffic light, but at a pedestrian crosswalk. There is one on Broad Ripple Avenue, it has a flashing yellow light and a big sign and still cars don't usually yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. It's not just Indy, but it's definitely a symptom of a city where the rights pedestrians (and bicyclists) are routinely ignored.

well ... yea ... re-read and now undertand. I don't know why anyone would want to use a crosswalk that doesn't have a light ... just seems like a safer way to go. Indiana also doesn't penalize jaywalkers, unlike on the west coast.

[Grandma(in waiting)]

It's something that has to be learned if you've moved here from elsewhere. I don't cross the street except at intersections where there is a traffic light period. It is too dangerous otherwise, here at least. If you've never known anything else, no matter where you're from, you're going to do what you're used to until you learn otherwise.

I really feel sorry for students relocating here from other states where pedestrian and bike laws are observed and delineated a bit better. It seems every year brings a death or severe injury.

IC 9-21-8-36
Traffic control signals not in operation
Sec. 36. Except as provided in IC 9-21-17-8, when traffic control signals are not in place or not in operation, a person who drives a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if necessary to yield, to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling or when the pedestrian is approaching closely from the opposite half of the roadway.