How Pedestrian

[Pike]

I just push it once. And yeah do they even do anything?

[Rantz]

I think those buttons here are a way to determine priority. The light might switch even if you don't push the button, but less priority is given to your crossing. They do have sensors under the roads near most intersections to determine the priority for the car lanes, but those sensors obviously don't work for pedestrians so they have the buttons instead. To be honest I thought this was standard behaviour, but reading up on it some big cities (NYC being the only confirmed example I can find) seem to have some placebo buttons.

Clever intersection programming is pretty integral to well functioning traffic (and saves everyone both time and gas), so I'm surprised if so many of you guys' cities have fully automated pedestrian crossings! Of course, it makes more sense in a super dense place like NYC where there are always pedestrians waiting to cross.

[Slothy]

Clever intersection programming is pretty integral to well functioning traffic (and saves everyone both time and gas), so I'm surprised if so many of you guys' cities have fully automated pedestrian crossings!

I think areas with less pedestrian traffic in this city have actual working buttons, but downtown is all automated. It's also just a city of 50,000 so not huge. We also have two major bottlenecks during morning and supper time traffic when everyone goes to and leaves work since there's a river running through the middle of the city and two major bridges crossing it. But unless it is snowing when you try to get to work/home, the traffic is only backed up severely for about half an hour, and only on the main roads. There are usually several ways you can go that literally bypass the traffic and get you on the bridge sooner, but most people just don't know them.

Yeah, can't tell I've done a lot of driving at various times through this city.

[Mirage]

I just push it once. And yeah do they even do anything?

Some do, some don't .

As robots, we should interface with them and ask.

Personally, I think it's rude to press the buttons several times. Think of the traffic lights, they're stressed out enough as it is!

[Madame Adequate]

My grandma taught me a secret code that makes them go faster. Make two short presses and then one long one.

I don't think it works but I almost always do it.

[Quindiana Jones]

There are no traffic laws in China and, as such, no concept of pedestrian safety.

[Mirage]

Traffic laws in china are more like traffic guidelines. That's what my guide (who was actually chinese) told me when I was there.

My grandma taught me a secret code that makes them go faster. Make two short presses and then one long one.

I don't think it works but I almost always do it.

Peer-reviewed source, plz!

[NorthernChaosGod]

I think those buttons here are a way to determine priority. The light might switch even if you don't push the button, but less priority is given to your crossing. They do have sensors under the roads near most intersections to determine the priority for the car lanes, but those sensors obviously don't work for pedestrians so they have the buttons instead. To be honest I thought this was standard behaviour, but reading up on it some big cities (NYC being the only confirmed example I can find) seem to have some placebo buttons.

Clever intersection programming is pretty integral to well functioning traffic (and saves everyone both time and gas), so I'm surprised if so many of you guys' cities have fully automated pedestrian crossings! Of course, it makes more sense in a super dense place like NYC where there are always pedestrians waiting to cross.

Areas with lots of foot traffic get timed crossings, and sometimes they don't even have the buttons. As far as I can tell, outside of those areas the buttons actually work.

[Værn]

What's this about traffic lights? All we have around here is two sets of four-way stop signs