In Which Areas Do You Find Jaywalkers? (Pittsburgh, Braddock: college, live in)

[Little Mizz Pittsburgh]

East Liberty. Negley Avenue, to be exact. You really have to watch it at night, when you drive.

[greg42]

And let's keep in mind that we're mainly talking about people who will walk against the light or in the middle of the street when there are no cars coming. I count myself in that group. I'm rather cautious with it, has to be really no cars including turning from the cross street, etc, but I will do it when nothing's coming. Just did a little while ago, in fact.

Very few people will jump out against the light or in the middle of the street when there's a car bearing down with what should be the right of way. THAT is not common. So it's not like we're talking about complete chaos if you're driving through the downtown streets.

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

And frankly, as a pedestrian I've had more problems at intersections Downtown than between them, due to drivers making turns. Basically, way too many drivers seem to think those red left-turn arrows and little white guys don't apply to them.

I have no issues at the intersection of Braddock and Hutchinson, or Braddock and Forbes. My biggest issue are the two huge signs in front of our house and the old Park Place school that state "Yield to Peds in Crosswalk". Six foot tall, red haired guy that can be plainly seen by anyone, can stand there all day while people drive by. That unfortunately forces me to jaywalk in that area.

[greg42]

Yeah, a lot of turning cars seem to think they don't have to yield to people crossing, but I do think this has actually gotten somewhat better over the years. I also think it helps when there is a real pedestrian signal.

Mid-block crosswalks are really hit or miss, mostly miss. I cross over one of the ones on Liberty in Gateway Center fairly regularly. It's the incoming traffic that tends not to stop. I've gotten rather aggressive and start walking. Sometimes they still whiz by. I think I'll start smacking cars if they're going slow enough.

[Faer]

Southside has a lot of jwalking barcrawlers during peak hours.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by scottrpriester

I have no issues at the intersection of Braddock and Hutchinson, or Braddock and Forbes. My biggest issue are the two huge signs in front of our house and the old Park Place school that state "Yield to Peds in Crosswalk". Six foot tall, red haired guy that can be plainly seen by anyone, can stand there all day while people drive by. That unfortunately forces me to jaywalk in that area.

That reminds me of a delivery I made recently to a home on Beechwood Boulevard (the busy stretch between the Parkway and the Waterfront). There is a huge pedestrian sign and well-marked crosswalk that I was standing at the edge of with a gift to deliver to a home directly across the street. It took me ten minutes to finally dart across. Needless to say I HATE making deliveries to residences along that stretch of Beechwood now. I couldn't imagine living there.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by greg42

I think I'll start smacking cars if they're going slow enough.

When I lived in Reston, VA I witnessed a pedestrian with the "WALK" signal who was almost hit by a car turning left into his path literally smack the rear end of the car. A few choice words were exchanged as the guy stopped his car and rolled his window down. This was at the intersection of New Dominion Parkway & Market Street, which is in a heavy pedestrian area near our fake Downtown.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by scottrpriester

I have no issues at the intersection of Braddock and Hutchinson, or Braddock and Forbes.

I haven't either.

My biggest issue are the two huge signs in front of our house and the old Park Place school that state "Yield to Peds in Crosswalk". Six foot tall, red haired guy that can be plainly seen by anyone, can stand there all day while people drive by. That unfortunately forces me to jaywalk in that area.

This is a problem at all the crosswalks along Braddock without stop-lights. Some people stop, but way too many just ignore the yield signs. I'll just walk out in front of drivers if I think they have plenty of stopping distance, but I do feel like I am playing *******.

Edit: That ******* was the name of a famous old video game where an amphibian needs to cross a street and a river.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by greg42

Yeah, a lot of turning cars seem to think they don't have to yield to people crossing, but I do think this has actually gotten somewhat better over the years. I also think it helps when there is a real pedestrian signal.

Agreed on both counts, but I walk so much Downtown I still see this happening all the time. I might start carrying around an aluminum bat so I can let some cars know exactly how I feel about it.

[squarian]

I trace part of the general traffic slackness (Pittsburgh left, ignoring crosswalks, jaywalking, etc) to the cops' reaction to the 1997 DOJ/ALCU consent decree.

"Strong officer resentment of the reforms introduced under the consent decree" (in the bland phrase of the DOJ report) was expressed at the time by an unspoken work-to-rule protest by cops who "complained that the multitude of new forms required by the decree were time-consuming and confusing".

Rather than submit to the consent decree by filling out the additional forms required for traffic stops, PBP cops seem to have simply looked the other way at minor infractions. And Pittsburghers quickly got used to the idea.