In Support of the Right to Cross the Street

Benjamin Ross argues that the walk signal is a fundamentally flawed approach to creating walkable streets and shareable roadways—making walking slower, less convenient, and more dangerous.

1 minute read

May 23, 2016, 7:00 AM PDT

By Elana Eden


Beg Button

Alison Grippo / Shutterstock

Walk signals are meant to make walking safer by sending cars and pedestrians ahead at different times. That means different types of road users receive different sets of information and instructions.

To make streets truly pedestrian-friendly, Benjamin Ross argues, it may be time to rethink that strategy.

"The underlying principle," he says, is that "negotiating the use of shared space makes roads safer."

Ross argues for letting drivers and pedestrians traveling the same direction go at the same time. That kind of system would treat various modes of transportation equally, he says, whereas the timer common to walk signals unfairly pushes pedestrians off the road in favor of drivers.

"Restricting the right to cross the street is intrinsically dangerous," Ross cautions: It teaches users of the road that they have to look out to drivers, but drivers don't have to look out for them.

This piece is part of a three-part series at Greater Greater Washington.

Thursday, May 12, 2016 in Greater Greater Washington

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight