In Which Areas Do You Find Jaywalkers? (Pittsburgh, Washington: neighborhood, construction)

[Caladium]

I had an interesting discussion this weekend about jaywalking. I saw a lot of it when I was up there but another person seemed to think it wasn't something that happened in da Burgh. My guess is that means there are certain areas where it's more of an issue than others.

So, that brings up my question du jour. Which areas have more jaywalking, and why? I was mostly in Downtown and Mt. Washington areas, so I know those have jaywalking issues (or at least they did during the week I was there). Where else?

[BrianTH]

Downtown does indeed have a lot of jaywalking, which is mostly a product of the narrow streets and high pedestrian density. I don't actually view it as a big problem in general, except around lunch time and rush hour.

People also jaywalk across Braddock in the downtown section of Regent Square. That is basically because there isn't a crossing at Sanders, and they don't want to have to go up to Hutchinson.

[greg42]

The other person is perhaps blind to it. Jaywalking is quite common in Pittsburgh. I suppose it might be a little bit less common in Oakland, but downtown it's all over. Part of it has been that for years there haven't been as many pedestrian crossing signals as there should be. This is changing a little, slowly. Also it gets exacerbated by the construction. Stanwix St was closed in a section for over a year while they dug it up for the North Shore subway tunnel. We're still seeing some after effects of that. But it's been common in general anyway. A couple years ago they tried to crack down and write tickets on Grant St, and people complained, saying there's a tradition of jaywalking here. So anyone saying it doesn't happen here is completely full of it.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Caladium

I had an interesting discussion this weekend about jaywalking. I saw a lot of it when I was up there but another person seemed to think it wasn't something that happened in da Burgh. My guess is that means there are certain areas where it's more of an issue than others.

So, that brings up my question du jour. Which areas have more jaywalking, and why? I was mostly in Downtown and Mt. Washington areas, so I know those have jaywalking issues (or at least they did during the week I was there). Where else?

I never said nobody jaywalks in Pittsburgh. We seem to have less of a problem with it, though, than what I experienced in NoVA. Our jaywalkers seem to be more "with it", at least, and actually look before crossing whereas in NoVA I'd routinely see people just walking into the street as if they were "entitled" to do so. You specifically targeted my age group in the other thread in regards to the jaywalking in Rosslyn, but there seems to be more middle-aged and elderly jaywalkers here who "expect" to have the right-of-way, even outside of crosswalks, as opposed to the younger people who behave that way in NoVA.

I experience the worst issues with jaywalkers in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood with middle-aged people who parallel park and then get out of their cars and expect to be waved across. Unfortunately some people "enable" it to happen, too. The other day someone did just this, and the person in their lane stopped to wave them across. I was in the opposing lane and didn't stop because they weren't in a crosswalk (the blocks along Murray Avenue are NOT that long). Nobody behind me did, either, which means the driver in the opposing lane was holding up traffic behind them just because these people were too lazy to find a crosswalk.

[Hopes]

Jaywalking is alive and well everywhere in Pittsburgh.

But I agree with SCR that most of Pittsburgh's jaywalkers are considerate of cars and dart across quickly.

Only a small percentage of our jaywalkers stop traffic by santering across the street in front of moving cars.

[Tinare]

It's all over. I almost hit someone in Dormont on West Liberty and Pioneer this winter. The right lane coming off of West Liberty onto Pioneer has a right arrow when traffic turning from Pioneer has a green and some yahoo dressed in black at night, walked without the walk signal I guess not knowing that the right lane can continue to move. I barely saw him out of the corner of my eye and had to slam my brakes to miss him. He, of course, thought I was in the wrong. I often think if I had hit and killed him it would have been natural selection at work. (at least the mean part of me thinks that...) Anyway, driving around here you do have to have your head on a swivel to be on the look out for idiots that do not know how to properly cross the street.

Jaywalking is one of my personal pet peeves. Especially at intersections like the above, where all traffic stops for walkers if they both hit the button for the walk signal and wait for it.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Tinare

I often think if I had hit and killed him it would have been natural selection at work. (at least the mean part of me thinks that...)

Thanks for the laugh!

[gg]

I think every area I have ever been in the US has them. Oddly, Scandinavia is so different. People really obey the laws there.

[jay5835]

When I lived in Portland and Seattle, I was surprised at how many people didn't jaywalk. I can't imagine standing at an intersection when there are no cars coming. I don't walk in front of moving cars.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

there seems to be more middle-aged and elderly jaywalkers here who "expect" to have the right-of-way, even outside of crosswalks, as opposed to the younger people who behave that way in NoVA.

Just a guess, but that may be because Pittsburgh has more native residents. Maybe if you've lived on a street your whole life, you're more likely to continue a habit you developed 50 or so years before crossing lights made it to your neighborhood.