Q&Amy: Do crosswalk buttons do anything?

Why did the pedestrian cross the road? I've received several questions regarding pedestrian-hood (I'm making it a word), so I've gathered them here. Grab your walking shoes. Here we go.

Q: What do those buttons for pedestrians at crosswalks do, if anything?

Amy: They make it safe to cross the street by ensuring there's enough green-light time to get from one side to the other.

When you push the crosswalk button, you're sending a signal to the light's computerized controller that a pedestrian is there. That activates what's called the "pedestrian phase" of the traffic signal, said Valerie Holmes, assistant city engineer for traffic.

A pedestrian phase not only activates the "walk" signal, if there is one at the light (yes, there are some lights in Greenville where there are buttons but no walk signals), but also ensures the parallel vehicle green light stays green long enough for a pedestrian to cross the road.

Around downtown, where the crosswalks aren't particularly wide, that may not be any longer than a normal green. But on larger roads like Pleasantburg Drive, it may extend the green light beyond what would normally be active for cars only.

What the button doesn't do is speed up the process of getting a walk signal. You still have to wait through the regular cycle to the green.

"It doesn't automatically interrupt a vehicle signal just for a pedestrian," Holmes said.

Incidentally, there are none of these buttons along Main Street. That's because the pedestrian traffic is so regular that the lights are set to include a pedestrian phase in every cycle automatically, she said.

When crossing with a walk signal, it's important to know that the walk sign, whether that's the word "walk" or the walking stick figure, is not designed to last for the entire time it takes to cross the road.

It switches to the flashing red hand (or "Don't Walk" sign) after a few seconds, a kind of yellow light for pedestrians.

"If you've started crossing, finish up. If you have not started crossing, don't," Holmes said.

Q: What are the laws regarding pedestrians, particularly in crosswalks not at traffic lights? I've had police officers give me conflicting information on who is supposed to yield, the car or the person.

Amy: The short answer is that pedestrians have right-of-way within designated crosswalks as long as they're crossing legally.

At lighted intersections, that means adhering to the pedestrian signals or, in the absence of these, the traffic signals. At mid-block crosswalks, like those found throughout Greenville's downtown, pedestrians hold the trump card.

Section 56-5-3130 of South Carolina's code of laws says, "the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way ... to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk."

Drivers should remain aware of where crosswalks are and anticipate yielding "because there is a potential of pedestrians being in it," said Johnathan Bragg, spokesman for the Greenville Police Department.

The reality of crossing, though, has a lot to do with common sense.

"Pedestrians do have the right of way in that crosswalk if it's reasonable for them to cross," Bragg said. "If they see a car coming up 15 feet away, it's not reasonable for them to cross the road."

According to data from the state Department of Public Safety, there were 125 vehicle-pedestrian collisions in Greenville County in 2012, resulting in 14 deaths. Preliminary data shows 102 collisions in 2013 and 69 so far this year — with 12 and 11 deaths respectively.

The Federal Highway Administration reports that mid-block locations account for more than 70 percent of pedestrian fatalities.

In order to increase safety at mid-block crosswalks on Greenville's pedestrian-heavy Main Street, the city has installed a series of neon yellow signs that remind drivers to yield to pedestrians. Those signs began appearing in 2011 and have since been added at more locations in response to requests, said Holmes.

America Walks, a nonprofit organization that advocates for safe walking nationwide, encourages the use of various features to make walking safer. Those include countdown signals at crosswalks (the city has at least one of those, at the intersection of McBee and McDaniel avenues) and HAWK signals at mid-block crossings.

HAWK — high-intensity activated crosswalk — signals have the advantage of providing a safe crossing while not holding up traffic as long as traditional three-color traffic lights, said Scott Bricker, executive director of America Walks.

Q: Why do the downtown crosswalks not have white lines?

Amy: "The difference in paving materials between the asphalt and the concrete automatically delineates where the crosswalks are," Holmes said.

The design of these crosswalks complies with the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which allows for decorative elements, she said.

The manual also includes guidelines for traditional crosswalk markings, including the size, location and spacing of the stripes, and the city adheres to these standards in painting crosswalks on other streets.

Got a question? Send it to Q&Amy by emailing me at aburns@greenvillenews.com or calling 864-298-3822. You can find me on Twitter at @QandAmyNews.

Staff writer Anna Lee contributed to this report.