Think about the last time you walked across a busy intersection. Did you feel safe?
According to a recent report from the Governors Highway Safety Association, the number of pedestrians killed in traffic accidents is up by 35 percent over the last decade across the country.
But right now, the City of Denton is testing out a new way to protect you next time you cross the street.
It's called an "all-walk" crosswalk and they've just launched a new pilot study at all four crossings in Downtown Denton to test it out.
Once the crossing button is pushed, all four traffic lights turn red so every vehicle is stopped. This allows pedestrians to cross the intersection in every direction safely at the same time, in any direction.
Pedestrians will have free rein to go where they need to during the time allotted on the signal. Vehicles are not even allowed to make turns when the crosswalk is activated.
All-walk crosswalks are also known as exclusive-pedestrian intersections.
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The city of Denton said they're designed to reduce or eliminate collisions between pedestrians and vehicles.
The next thought is traffic: How would stopping all of the cars at once effect traffic flow?
This pilot study will test the effectiveness of traffic and how it reacts to this pedestrian crossing. The project runs through Spring 2020 so the city will be able to examine about six months of data.
After that, the city council will decide whether to make a permanent change.
All-walk crosswalks are implemented at these intersections:
N. Elm St. & W. Oak St.
W. Oak St. & N. Locust St.
N. Locust St. & E. Hickory St.
W. Hickory St. and S. Elm St.
These intersections were selected because of their high pedestrian volumes, and high rates of turning vehicles.
The city has posted a survey on their website for both drivers and pedestrians to share their feedback. Click here for more information.
