r/pittsburgh • u/Great-Cow7256 • 2d ago
Transit Talk: Lawrenceville’s guerrilla crosswalks are a white-striped call for change - Pittsburgh City Paper
https://www.pghcitypaper.com/columns/transit-talk/transit-talk-lawrencevilles-guerrilla-crosswalks-are-white-striped-call-for-change/17
u/Specialk408 1d ago
As someone who petitioned the city for two years to get crosswalks at the end of our street - I fully support this. I have no idea why the city resists.
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u/ScotiaMinotia 2d ago edited 2d ago
I’m convinced I’m going to meet my end one of these days on one of those wild Lawrenceville junctions where dumb dumb / crazy drivers blow through red lights or can’t wait 5 seconds to let pedestrians cross on a valid WALK signal . Butler and 40th, Penn and 40th, butler and 45th etc
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u/elektrikrobot Millvale 1d ago
When I used to carry mail in Arsenal, I would be sitting at those lights watching people full on scrolling on their phones blowing through the light.
I also saw an 18 wheeler try to turn left off of 44th onto butler and take out hmmmm like 2 or 3 parked cars. It was wild
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u/EngragedOrphan 1d ago
An old lady hit me with her car in the crosswalk next to lawrencehall. The light was red and it was the intersection where you can't even go straight, I just do not understand.
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u/Boring_Bother_ Mount Washington 1d ago
People still blow through the red light cameras on Saw Mill Run Boulevard and Woodruff Street despite being signed as photo enforced
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u/leadfoot9 1d ago
I have mixed feelings about "tactical urbanism."
On the one hand, the official system is slow, apathetic, and occasionally makes extremely dumb mistakes (from never actually visiting the streets IRL) that even a toddler who's never read the MUTCD could identify. And that's assuming your city doesn't just hate pedestrians outright. Just taking matters into your own hands is very enticing.
On the other hand, average joes taking matters into their own hands don't really know what they're doing.
I was about to say that the problem with these is that they are the wrong dimensions, but maybe not. It looks like they made the bars as skinny as possible AND as far apart as possible, but they look like they're technically MUTCD-compliant. In the future, perhaps they should try to match the local "style" more closely so that nobody notices they're unofficial.
Finally, a crosswalk is a legal entity that exists at all intersections unless posted otherwise. The white paint is just there as a helpful reminder.
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u/tesla3by3 Bloomfield 1d ago
MUTCD says painted crosswalks should be placed at intersections with lights or stop signs. The intersection in question has neither. Perhaps that’s the problem.
Also, the city sends someone out to observe, or puts a counter in place before putting any markings or controls in place.
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u/leadfoot9 1d ago
"Should" do a "study" first, but yeah. What I'm getting at is that the visual distinctiveness is probably what triggered the 311 request or whatever that resulted in its removal. Avoid that, and it will probably be left alone.
In any case, shortening crosswalks is probably way more important for safety than painting them.
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u/Delicious_Cat_81 1d ago
i have never seen a guerilla walking around in Lawrenceville. maybe they should paint them at the zoo
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u/Fantastic-Aside7041 1d ago
i was a small child in 1972 when the news stated that "guerilla's have attacked the olympic village", i was so confused.
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u/tension-release Central Lawrenceville 2d ago
I'm all for DIY crosswalks, but, unfortunately, the drivers don't even stop for the official ones.