City Emphasizes Pedestrian Safety With New Signs
CDOT workers install new crosswalk sign at Diversey & Wilton
Over two years ago, state law changed.
Since Illinois Public Act 096-1165 passed in April, 2010, drivers are supposed to stop anytime a pedestrian wants cross the street at a crosswalk.
Not just at stop signs or traffic lights.
But anywhere a crosswalk exists. No signs needed and the crosswalk doesn’t even need to be marked.
Since then, the law has done little to change the behavior of drivers toward pedestrians. With no state or local money appropriated toward actually informing or educating the public of the law change or even police enforcement, the vast majority of drivers still speed by corners where pedestrians patiently wait for a break in the traffic.
But now, the City of Chicago is finally doing something to promote this law and educate the public as the Chicago Department of Administration has recently begun installing signs at select crosswalks reminding drivers to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk.
On Tuesday afternoon, Chicago Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein and 43rd Alderman Mary Ann Smith were on hand at the corner of Diversey and Wilton in Lincoln Park, to unveil one of 50 of these signs being installed city wide.
Smith’s traffic congested North Side ward will have the most of these first 50 crosswalk signs with 13. The cost of these signs comes out of each ward’s annual menu money and are installed at the request of aldermen after CDOT reviews the request according to CDOT spokesperson Pete Scales.
Despite the fact the law has been on the book for over two years, Klein believes these crosswalk signs are a good first step and will help educate drivers about the law.
“They’re (the signs) are really about education,” said Klein as one driver behind him did not heed the sign, refusing to stop for a female pedestrian trying to cross Diversey. “They’re a reminder.”
Ald. Smith agreed when asked if the signs would actually work.
“We’ve seen an immediate impact on Cannon Drive,” said Smith about a location where signs were installed earlier and near where a young girl was killed by a driver a few years ago. “(Lincoln Park) Zoo workers have been very appreciative of the signs.”
A good law if properly enforced. The problem is that until it becomes practice, its going to cause accidents. I come from a place that aggressively enforces this law and thus I try to follow it. On more than one occasion while in my Car I have stopped for folks wishing to cross and almost been re-ended and/or had cars cut around me (through the bike lane) on the right side and nearly hit the pedestrians passing in front of my car. One of the solutions is a “modified” crosswalk rule in which those major streets with more than one lane in each direction are “exempt” from the rule and pedestrians have to cross at the lights.
Lived in California for 23 years it’s a habit and reaction to be adopted that’s certainly can’t be done by law only. It will take five years for the law to be adopted habitually by motorists. BTW. Lived in NYC too, what difference!
Doc…
Don’t they ticket for Jaywalking in California?
I spent time in the UK in the mid-90′s, and everyone used the Crosswalks; and drivers always just yielded to them. It was amazing to see it, and then come back to Chicago and darn near get killed while trying to cross at a Xwalk in Lincoln Park by a cabbie.
For all the Cities talk about Biker safety this and pedestrian safety that and speed cameras for the children, and on all the dome cameras in intersections and blue light cameras in “high risk’ areas….
How about the darn yellow crosswalk signs get some cameras that can photo/video log vehicles that Fail to Yield in the intersections that don’t have a stop sign/stop light but have a Marked Crosswalk?
Teach people real fast to yield all the time.
And while I’m thinking of it…those yellow crosswalk state law signs are great…
If you can read English. And carry insurance. And give a damn about your fellow humans.
Drew,
I like those new signs too. FINALLY drivers are getting a little education on the new law. It only took 2 freaking years.
The problem with the new law is that essentially ANY place a pedestrian crosses the street is considered a crosswalk. Marked or not. London works because they are marked crosswalks with lights etc. and are then enforced. That’s what we should have here, crosswalks that are CLEARLY marked. Of course that would cost municipalities money, so we get the law the way it was written. It confusing and most drivers aren’t even aware of its extent. And I’m sure bicyclists think the law doesn’t apply to them at all.
No crosswalks on the West Side or Englewood, they just do a slow shuffle while crossing the streets in their dazed and confused state of mind.
Remedy says:
July 9, 2012 at 11:34 am
No crosswalks on the West Side or Englewood, they just do a slow shuffle while crossing the streets in their dazed and confused state of mind.
My comment:
Really. A racial stereotype? Those comments are about the most racist comments that I have read in a long long time. I strongly doubt that you have any actual evidence to support that statement or that actions in Englewood or the West Side are any different than any other part of the city. (I actually do drive in and around the South Side and I don’t see any different conduct. I see jaywalkers in Englewood and I see jaywalkers in Lincoln Park.
One of the “problems” in Chicago as a whole is the virtually absence of crosswalk markings (and stop lines and lane markings). Due to the weather and the City budget, the street markings, with highly limited exceptions, in all of the neighborhoods are pretty much gone.
“Really. A racial stereotype? ”
Nobody brought race into this discussion except for you. Take your politically correct bullshit and shove it up your ass. The rest of us have a clue as to how the world actually works.
Well said Pete! I wasnt being racist, I just dont sugarcoat crap while wearing rose colored glasses. I call it as I see it.
Pete wrote:
Nobody brought race into this discussion except for you. Take your politically correct bullshit and shove it up your ass. The rest of us have a clue as to how the world actually works.
My comment:
The comment by Remedy was clearly evoking certain racial stereotypes. The good news is that you and Remedy will be among the first to be lined up against the wall when we “politically correct bullshiters” take over.
The thing is that racists often don’t know that their comments are racist in nature and the code words naturally flow out.
Remedy wrote:
Well said Pete! I wasnt being racist, I just dont sugarcoat crap while wearing rose colored glasses. I call it as I see it.
My comment:
Based on your comments, which speak for themselves, I suspect that you aren’t calling it as you see it, because you don’t see it. I strongly doubt that you have actually ever been in Englewood, let alone in Englewood long enough to notice the actual street crossing patterns.
Been in Englewood, Garfield Park, Pullman and every other ghetto trash part of town. Seen it all. Lets not play stupid and insult each others intelligence. It is what it is. Property values speak volumes, or are those made up? Give me a break!
Lets not forget crime statistics, (those must be racial profiling too in your gumdrop world).
Haha, true dat!!!! Dont forget Douglas Park, Gresham and Bronzeville. All shitholes!
Hey bootman….Did ya hear the new rumor at work today?
Her nibs might just be gone by August 1st.
Friday is her last day!!!!!!!!
Oh we can’t be that fuckin lucky for it to be that fast…
But I give Mad props to the Geek and the IG for breaking the Booter Debacle story.
Straw that broke a bitches back.
Chicago politics as usual. I did it the old fasioned way, applied for the job and waited and waited. I dont have any uncle alderpeople. They say clout is non- exsisting these days but everyone knows thats bullshit. Her leaving is the same as when Daley decided to quit. Kind of scary, at least with her and with Daley we knew what kind of screwing we were going to get. Wonder if the new guy will be better or if hes a “sand in the vaseline” type of manager. I guess it couldnt get any worse than it has been.
Whats sad is no matter how many departments she mis-manages or IGO investigations are geared towards her, or even the unknown amount she has costs taxpayers….Big Willie Cochran (20th ward) will just use his connections to move her to another department that will also be destined to be mis-managed. Vote out Willie, and her clout goes by by.
Back on topic….
These new crosswalk signs change the ball game on parking in areas where there are no Meter Payboxs.
We’ve all seen the spots…no tow zone sign…pay at box sign arrow points the other direction…car length or so of space between the pay box sign and the crosswalk.
20 feet to a Crosswalk parking is prohibited if there are crosswalk signs present.
Say goodbye to a ton of formerly Free Spots that were ‘outside of the meter zones.”
Maybe that was the intention all along – get rid of more street parking and send more cars to the meters.
Within the next 10 years I suspect that ALL Chicago street parking will be metered, permit ($$$), loading zone or otherwise not available to anyone without paying one way or another.
Oof! I think Capt. M-Plate may be right on this.
That’s bad news for weasels like me. I live off of finding those little twilight zone parking spots.
Lincoln Ave. has LOTS of those types of spots. Milwaukee Ave. has them too.