pedestrians | Indoor Air Quality Lab

Spotted: Cross Walks Done Right share

The whole point of cross walks is to make it safer for pedestrians to cross the street, but many drivers don't seem to see them. That's why I love the cross walks in Decatur, GA!

Decatur, GA is the city just east of Atlanta, and compared to Atlanta it's kind of a wonderland for folks wanting to get around on foot or by bike. Decatur has colored bike lanes to help motorists see where their territory ends on the roads and the cyclists's begins. These awesome cross walks in downtown Decatur are similarly well-designed.

In Atlanta and in Decatur cars are required to stop for pedestrians in cross walks, but they rarely do. Maybe they don't know the laws or they don't see the markings on the road? Whatever the reason, I've been almost hit many times just trying to cross the street, and it's very frustrating.

Decatur's solution to that problem was to design cross walks in their downtown area that are highly visible and explain the law, so drivers know what's up. Downtown Decatur is heavy on foot traffic, and this is a great way to make sure that pedestrians are safer, which is good for us and good for the shops and restaurants that rely on that foot traffic for their customer base. Sure, these cross walks cost more than painting some white lines, but this more visible setup is an investment in those local businesses downtown. And it makes me happy.

I'd love to hear about how your town manages traffic to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe! You can leave a comment here or send us an email through the site contact page!

Posted: | Categories: Cars+Tranportation, cross walks, Innovation, pedestrian traffic, pedestrians, safe cross walks, walkability

Jan

Need a crosswalk? Make your own! share

Let's face it: not every town is pedestrian-friendly. If you're driving, going a block or so out of your way feels like no big deal, but on foot it can be pretty frustrating to have to pass your destination just to cross the street at a crosswalk.

"Urban hacktivist" Florian Riviere made his renegade crosswalk to make everywhere he went more walkable. It's made from a reclaimed piece of carpet, and the artist says he was inspired by video games to reinvent his landscape.

This would be a super easy project to make, if you wanted to create your own pop up crosswalk. All you'd need are:

An old piece of carpet
White paint
Black paint, if your carpet's not dark enough
Masking tape

Just measure and tape off your stripes, paint them white, and you're set! If you need to use the black paint, just tape again when the white paint is fully dry, so you have clean lines on your finished crosswalk.

Of course, there is a question of safety here, right? Would motorists in your town stop for pedestrians on a makeshift crosswalk? Here in Atlanta, most drivers won't stop for me at proper crosswalks, even when there are signs that say "Stop for Pedestrians: It's the Law." But Atlanta drivers might be in a special category. How do you think this would go over in your town?