What's with the Downtown Denver crosswalks??? (Center: hotel, safe, best)

[buffalobirdie]

I'm new to downtown and walk a lot. Hardly any of the crosswalk lights work in CBD! I see people standing there confused, myself included, waiting for the "white walking man" light and you never get one to indicate its safe to walk. Then you just look in every direction and just decide to go for it. I cannot believe this hasn't been a huge call out by now for city safety.

[zenkonami]

Um...I work downtown 5 days a week, on and off 16th St, and I haven't seen any problem with the crosswalk signals in the CBD. People do tend to walk against the signal if traffic is clear, but that's common in any major downtown area with medium to high pedestrian traffic. Perhaps you could clarify? Where did you experience this problem? Which intersection(s)? How frequently?

[hammertime33]

Yeah, I walk downtown all the time. I've never noticed a problem with the cross-walk signs.

[suzco]

I've never noticed a problem either. Is there confusion where someone's not used to those intersections where all the traffic lights turn red and all the little figures on the walk signs are white, and you can even cross diagonally?

[Evergreen7276]

They're not as cool as San Jose crosswalks. That's the problem

[jenalicious08]

You can always tell if someone is new to downtown because they sit there a wait for the little white man to say go. Everyone just checks to see if the coast is clear and goes.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Buffalobirdie, I'm sure the Denver Public Works Department would like a courtesy call to let them know if there are pedestrian crosswalk lights burned out. Then they can go repair them. Let them know the cross streets and which direction is the one burned out.

[newhandle]

The City announced last year, they will be getting rid of them.

[buffalobirdie]

Originally Posted by zenkonami

Um...I work downtown 5 days a week, on and off 16th St, and I haven't seen any problem with the crosswalk signals in the CBD. People do tend to walk against the signal if traffic is clear, but that's common in any major downtown area with medium to high pedestrian traffic. Perhaps you could clarify? Where did you experience this problem? Which intersection(s)? How frequently?

A few from best of memory:
17th and Broadway (in front of Brown Palace Hotel)
17th and Glenarm
the intersection of California and 14th in front of Convention Center
14th and Glenarm
18th and ? at corner of City Park

Maybe the diagonal thing is what I'm missing? How does that work anyway? sorry, but I think that is just the dumbest idea. It stops all traffic from all directions and no one knows what to do.

Also - has anyone noticed the corner of Lincoln and 20th Ave/Street whatever... There are TWO Oneway signs on the same street facing each other! LOL. Also throw in that you have 20th street and 20th ave right there. Its like the Bermuda Triangle or something. I tried to take a photo but its hard to get both signs in the frame.

[buffalobirdie]

Originally Posted by suzco

I've never noticed a problem either. Is there confusion where someone's not used to those intersections where all the traffic lights turn red and all the little figures on the walk signs are white, and you can even cross diagonally?

No, there is no white man symbol - all directions are solid red hands:
17th and Glenarm
17th and Broadway (in front of Brown Palace Hotel)
14th and California (?) in front of Convention Center
Glenarm and 14th or 15th
18th and corner of City Park
...Just a few that I can remember off top of head.