There are plenty of intersections where a walk signal comes on automatically, why do some intersections require a button push to initiate the walk signal when it doesn’t seem to make a difference in light timing or duration?
In: Engineering
People are talking about intersections where it does matter, when you’re asking specifically about the ones that it doesn’t.
Simple answer is to maintain consistency and expectations. People are used to buttons being there, whether it’s because they mattered in the past or they’re used to it matter in other intersections or they’re used to systems overseas. Not having the button on some intersections but having them on others would cause confusion. Maybe they wouldn’t realise that if there is a button they **have** to press it. Maybe some people would be so used to timed cycles that they wouldn’t even look for the button on intersections that require it.
It may seem obvious on an individual level, but when you look at large populations when a 1% chance of people getting confused is a significant number. Maintaining consistency just helps, even if that consistency is fake.
There’s also a discussion to be had around disability considerations. The button sometimes being there and sometimes not could cause issue for the blind or hard of seeing, as well as those with cognitive impairments.
Latest Answers