10 Facts That Explain Crosswalks

These examples are specific to Washington, D.C., but many of the facts listed in this article will apply elsewhere, too.

1 minute read

July 27, 2017, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Pedestrian Infrastructure

BlackMac / Shutterstock

Mitch Wander did a little digging into the world of crosswalks, discovering that there is a lot to learn and now about these features of public life. After a conversation with District Department of Transportation Communications Specialist, Michelle Phipps-Evans, Wander was able to make a list of ten items of crosswalk trivia:

  1. There are more crosswalks than you think there are
  2. Some new crosswalks are DDOT’s idea, yet many come from resident suggestions
  3. Marked crosswalks aren’t appropriate everywhere people request them
  4. Yet there are ways to make crosswalk locations more frequently-used, and safer
  5. Crosswalks can only go in locations compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  6. Crosswalks wear out and resident service requests prompt most repainting
  7. Crosswalk restriping is seasonal
  8. Pedestrian pylons are relatively inexpensive ways to enhance unsignalized crosswalks
  9. Some crosswalks need to be removed to make streets safer for pedestrians
  10. DDOT planning changes will lead to better decisions and safer pedestrian crossings

Wander provides a lot more detail on each of these points in the article.

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