I now live and work in Cambridge, MA and walk everywhere except when I ride the T or a bus. When I first moved here I was amazed at the drivers. To each other, they are very agressive so I am very glad that I decided to not bring my car with me when I moved. In contrast, they are very curteous to pedestrians. For example: When a car is turning right or left from a traffic signal right of way, the pedestrian crossing the street in front of the turning car and with the light has the right of way. In 99.999% of my street crossing and those I have observed, the turning car automatically stops once the pedestrian enters the crosswalk even if it means blocking on-coming traffic. The drivers of the on-coming cars understand and patiently wait for the pedestrian to complete the walk and for the intersection to clear. I have never experience a nasty look, a bird flip, etc when I am the pedestrian. It took awhile to get used to it and to completely understand the cars were going to stop for me and my fellow walkers. The pedestrian/car dynamic is independent of a traffic signal and/or walk signal at a crosswalk. This behaviour is ingrained in the culture.

On the other hand, the drivers in Michigan are pretty rude to walkers. They think they own the road and a walkers attempt to cross with the light is met with disdain to most drivers who want to make a right on red, etc.

As you come under the train trestle, you have to see it immediately, before it disappears above the roof line.

I have missed it because I was paying attention traffic when I was coming under the trestle.

I was walking on William and came to the stop sign at Ashley. A car had stopped at the stop sign, but he was engrossed in his messaging. Does he see me or not? Since, William is actually pretty busy at that time of day, I assumed that he would look for cars at least, before he continued motoring across the intersection. He did not appreciate me telling him to stop texting.

WBWC has received funding to conduct an education campaign around our new pedestrian ordinance. Linda Diana Feldt is definitely correct that this is a topic that requires attention in our community if anything is going to change. For information about the WBWC pedestrian safety project, visit: [link]. Volunteers will be needed.

Happy Walking,
Erica Briggs
WBWC Board Member

We have a severe problem at ALL crosswalks, as people learn the new law, and begin to change their awareness of pedestrians. I believe pedestrians are in more danger right now than we were before the new crosswalk law, and the HAWK signal is also a place where pedestrians have to be more aware than normal.

Once we have better signage, more enforcement, and drivers have gotten used to the greater awareness required, I think it will be a net gain. But in the meantime, it is scary out there. I walk a lot. Nearly every walk includes a car plowing into the crosswalk without looking, running stop signs, turning right on red when pedestrians are present in the crosswalk, and other violations. Add to that the unshoveled walks, icy paths, and places without sidewalks, and it is a challenging thing to simply go for a walk.

Yesterday I was walking along a road without sidewalks, facing traffic, with my dog on the shoulder on a short leash well off the road. Apparently the driver coming towards me was distracted by the sight of my dog (he said), missed seeing the driver in front of him who had stopped to turn left. Slamming on his brakes caused him to spin out, miss hitting the car, but he ended up in the ditch. Where we had just been walking.

Nothing less than a total change of consciousness and awareness is going to work to protect pedestrians and bicyclists. And we are getting there. I see more and more people obeying the new crosswalk law. More and more bicycles with lights, obeying traffic laws as least as often as cars.

So I’m optimistic about changes in behavior, but also pretty scared and angry more often than I would prefer. Please slow down and watch out. This driving thing is a lot more complicated and dangerous than it might seem.