Friday, March 19, 2010
Around Town / Phillips Don't Run Over People: A Brief Crosswalk Primer
Posted by Betsy Phillips on Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 11:54 AM
By law, in the state of Tennessee, if someone is in the crosswalk, you have to stop for them. It was
It'd be nice if we could take some of the resources wasted on harassing one of the more competent and well-run government agencies and use them instead to enforce life-saving legislation.
But in the meantime, I'd just like to remind folks, if people are in a marked crosswalk, you have to stop for them. That's the law.
Comments (20)
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Metro's version allows traffic to move if their half of the road is clear.
http://www.nashville.gov/pw/pdfs/divisions/TITLE_12.pdf
12.52.020 Pedestrian right-of-way in crosswalks—Driver responsibilities.
A. When traffic-control signals are not in place or not in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield, to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian crossing is upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling, or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger.
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No one in this damn city respects pedestrians. I frequently have to cross West End from Centennial Park and walk a few blocks up 25th Avenue into Vanderbilt. Even in broad daylight, no one stops, even though the pedestrian icon is clearly glowing white. You have to "pretend jog" just to make drivers satisfied that you're not taking up their time. Forget walking.
It should be legal for pedestrians and bikers to carry around paintball pellets that can be thrown at cars who drive dangerously. I'm only joking, of course. Sort of.
I don't think Nashville is that bad compared with Boston, New York, and Pittsburgh, I have had close calls in all three of those cities, I have never had one in Nashville.
Huh? There's no right turn on red in NYC, and it's not that common for drivers to run red lights. A pedestrian crossing with the light tends to be safe there.
Of course it's a two way street (no pun intended) -- Nashville pedestrians seem to need a primer on what "walk" and "don't walk" lights mean.
I'm lookin' at you, Predators fans.
Pedestrians in NYC don't pay attention to the lights, I once saw a cabbie and a pedestrian get into a fist fight over who had right of way.
I was nearly hit by a bus in Pittsburgh, because he stoped and let passengers out in the middle of the crosswalk, and then tried to start moving again with 7 people waling in front of him.
IMO Nashville is better then a lot of places your mileage may vary.
Jon, I sometimes suspect that drivers' ill-behavior towards pedestrians in other parts of town is pent-up frustration at folks downtown. We all know hitting a deserving lolly-gagging tourist or five would be economic doom for the city (not as bad as sending out racist emails, but pretty bad), so we behave downtown and then get even other places.
Anonymous, that's in line with what the state law says, too. Still, these folks were in this drivers' lane and he didn't even slow down. Upon consideration, I wonder if he was looking at something else or something, because it was like he didn't even see them. They had to run to get out of his way.
Thank you! Thank you! I have been honked and almost hit numerous times, trying to cross Demonbreun at the well marked crosswalk. For a hot minute they had officers hanging out at the crosswalks between 5th/4th avenues and the Arcade issuing tickets to motorists in violation of this law.
Tangentially related:
I was in London last year and made a pilgramage into the heart of St. John's Wood to the intersection of Grove End Rd. and Abbey Road.
People (i.e. tourists like myself) are constantly walking through that intersection, trying to take pictures, and traffic there is constant (maybe not Broadway-constant, but certainly Granny White-constant; imagine trying to get a picture of yourself in mid-crossing from Lipscomb over to Pizza Perfect on a nice day).
There are so many accidents there that the City of Westminster is considering digging up the intersection and moving the famed zebra crosswalk further down the road.
In Knoxville there are signs in the middle of crosswalks, between lanes, reminding drivers it is state law to stop for pedestrians. A few of these around Nashville, especially on James Robertson, might be helpful.
I urge people who are concerned about pedestrian rights and conditions in Nashville to check out Walk Bike Nashville (www.walkbikenashville.org) and the Mayor's Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (www.nashville.gov/mayor/bpac). WBN has been working for over 10 years to improve conditions for walkers (and cyclists) and BPAC has been doing great work since they were created by Mayor Dean in late 2008. Obviously Nashville is no bike/ped utopia, but people are out there working on the issue and there's strength in numbers, so join up . . .
Nashville is not friendly to their pedistrians. I walk a lot and have to be very careful when crossing streets even though I have the right of way, crossing at the light and with the walk sign saying walk.
People will turn and come towards me as if somehow I shouldn't be in their way. I had one car get so close before he stopped I could hear him apologize.
Yeah some pediatrians do not use common sense but the fact is that drivers are either blind to walkers or think they have the right of way at all times.
Thank you so much for posting this. I regularly try to cross at the crosswalk on 12th and Beechwood, in front of Mafiaoza's. It drives me crazy that MAYBE one car in 10 will stop and let waiting peds cross. Obviously everyone should use common sense but drivers need to remember this rule.
I'm with ya on the crosswalks, but the slow-walkin' rubes on Demonbreun near the Arena really burn my toast.
They don't go to intersections, don't watch traffic, and just mosey on across the middle of the block like it's a fethtival.
I don't like being forced to cuss people when I"m on my way to church.
As a former denizen of NYC and one who has logged many hours/miles in the toughest traffic of our Northern hemisphere I can confess my preference for Nashville's traffic. Hell, here we don't even register on the comparison scale: except for one thing, which I will get to in a moment.
In the Big Apple if you aren't aggressive about the way you negotiate traffic you don't get anywhere. NYC drivers are not polite, considerate or compassionate. They are concerned with nothing but getting where they intend to go – now, and damn anyone who bothers with politeness. All that does is hold up the works. In the great scheme of traffic negotiation up there, the accepted method is first aggressiveness, followed by decisive indications of your intent – turns, etc. then following up on it. When you want to make a move, turn on your signal and start. New Yorkers don't want accidents, lawsuits etc, and don't hit pedestrians. They will get right the hell out of your way when they see you mean business. (They also know when you aren't sure whether or not you mean business, and then you don't get anywhere.)
Here, we have what I identify as the 'red-neck' factor. Aggressive driving, and jay-walking, in Nashville seems to switch on an intent to fight over lanes, turns, merging etc. There is a damn fine line between aggressive and assertive driving on our streets. And sometimes our 'red-neck' factor results in fisticuffs on the shoulder of the road. Less often, fender benders. Something rarely seen up there.
Don't misunderstand: I never want to go back. Nashville doesn't have traffic, really. Just like we don't have winter either, really. It's better here. Way better. I intend to drive around town politely and considerately, without running over any pedestrians, until I'm planted. That doesn't mean I won't be laughing at the 'red-neck' antics though. Gives me another reason to appreciate what I've found in 'The Athens of the South'. And entertainment when traffic is temporarily thick
Hooray for HD! Perfectly depicted NYC traffic where I spent a good 14 years on foot and behind the wheel.
What galls me here in the south is the polar opposite - When you finally do snare a southerner with a red light, when it goes green you are supposed to start moving again. And for some reason it just does not happen. I've never motored in any place where a green light cycle only manages to squeeze 3 to 5 cars through. WTF? Heads up, drop the Mountain Dew and look up fer chrissakes~!
New Yorkers are at least aware of the concept of pedestrians. As someone who regularly walks in the West End/Vandy area I can tell you that a significant percentage of Nashville drivers are completely unaware of the notion that they may be sharing the road with people on foot. It's scary out there.
W.D.'s observation that in NY
"When you want to make a move, turn on your signal and start."
is dead on. In Nashville the prefered options are 1) turn on your signal and don't turn/change lanes, 2) don't ever ever use your turn signal.
A few years ago, I was knocked down by a car turning right on red after stopping, at the corner of 7th & Union. I ended up spread-eagled on the hood, and had to bang on the hood to get the driver's attention. He had looked left, saw that no one was coming from that direction, and pulled out without checking whether a pedestrian was crossing in front of the car. Fortunately, I only ended up with bruised shins, from being struck by the front bumper. Had I fallen backwards, he would have run over me before he knew I was there.
I am presently living in Halifax Canada, population of about 300-400,000 people. I moved here from Toronto to go to school because I thought it would be less hustle and bustle. However, people in Halifax do not stop when you are crossing an intersection...NO...THEY RUN OVER YOU. After reading the previous posts (and after being run down by a car shortly before I got home tonight) I realized that this phenomenon is not unique to where I live. People who run over pedestrians should have their licenses permanently revoked, we need to develop a policy that protects pedestrians and cyclists. Cyclists were killed in Ottawa this past summer, something needs to be done. People who drive cars have a sense of security and superiority, they take out their hostility on pedestrians because they live pathetic lives and need to fill like a big man on campus. I see it here, where people drive expensive cars to compensate for their feelings of worthlessness.
