Does Pushing The Walk Button Really Work?

In the Chicago area, the Illinois Department of Transportation and the City of Chicago reconnected walk buttons to the system when they updated traffic-control signals. According to Steve Travia, IDOT's bureau chief of traffic for the Chicago area: "If you are trying to cross the street, push the walk button to tell the traffic signal that you are there. The bottom line is that if you don't push the walk button, the walk signal may never come up."

Pushing the walk button may reduce waiting times. However, some pedestrians might still have to wait as long as 2 1/2 minutes for the walk signal at busy intersections with heavy vehicle traffic. Other factors influence the wait: volume of vehicle traffic detected by sensors, and exactly when the button was pushed in relation to the red-and-green light cycle controlling vehicle traffic.