People that start moving forward while I'm still in the crosswalk boil my blood. If I didn't avoid confrontation like the plague I'd just stop for a few seconds... They'd probably just run me over though
Some lights are literally 15 seconds and others are a minute and a half. Some can even be a ridiculous two and a half minutes if there’s advanced greens and poor engineering (trying to cross Prince of Wales on the south side of Meadowlands literally takes that long, it’s absurd). Traffic light times have a huge range depending on the intersection.
If you hold down the crosswalk button for more than 5 seconds it will put the crosswalk into a longer cross time mode. Some will sound the blind person alarm and some will just add additional time to the crossing.
Unfortunately though, not a lot of people actually know they do that and a lot of the crosswalks I see don't even have a button like at Chapel and Laurier
I didn’t know that that gave you extra time - I do that sometimes on the crosswalk near my home (which is ludicrously fast) more because I get bored waiting, it doesn’t seem to give us (noticeable) extra time.
No, they’re clearly too long, in fact we should remove them because all they do is interrupt the important car traffic. Everyone knows car traffic is the most important!
If you follow up on this with those responsible for the crosswalk timing and design, you will get a "blue pill" response that I suggest just taking. It isn't worth your sanity exploring this rabbit hole any further, and tracing the decision making backwards and truly understanding the scope of the problem.
They are shorter if you do not hit the cross button. I have 2 children and cannot make it across with them if I do not push the button. When we use the button it doubles or even triples the time to cross.
Domi with Horvat and Pod would be a very interesting line. BB's system seems to favour forechecking, so this line would have a lot of potential to unleash.
You're the only one trying to find a solution, everyone else on here is more so just saying that it's how it is and it'd be a pain to fix so best leave it be.
My daughter went to a nursery school in OOS, traffic lights were way too short. We called the city and it was extended right away. Of course, this was 20 years ago, but it’s worth a call!
A pedestrian light on carling was extended a few years ago after requests, so it does still seem to be possible. This one was near my old work, and extension meant you didn't have to run the last third
Yep. The one in Kanata going from the Centrum to The Signature Centre takes 10 minutes to change to Walk ( I understand this) but the walking guy stays for 4 seconds you can't get anywhere in 4 seconds! 😡
I have chronic pain flare ups which leads to occasional mobility issues which make me slower at times. On a good day my mobility is fine and I can walk at a pretty normal speed. On a good day it still feels rushed to cross at certain intersections.
I'm all for the stupid little button but most crosswalks I use don't even have one. I really do hate car-centric cities, it's forgotten that people inhabit this city, not cars.
wtf do you think the button is for if not altering the timing of the intersection to allow for pedestrians? And how is having a pedestrian button car centric?
It's a serious issue. The lights change from green to red so fast at some intersections. The yellow light is too quick I find and I end up having to break very hard to stop in time or get caught running a red.
If you're comfortable being an advocate, the city has a special reporting section for accessibility fails. I have gotten a bus stop curb lowered before after watching mobility scooters being dropped off in the intersection over and over. You don't have to need accommodation, you can see a need and advocate for those that may not. I am able bodied.
The crosswalk lights on bank/hunt club makes no sense. Whenever you cross bank, the pedestrian light always ends 5-15 seconds shorter before the traffic lights end for no apparent reason. The eastbound and westbound lights also end at different times at random. Even for drivers it could be misleading as people gauge when to brake with these countdowns and it's awkward when you braked and the light stayed green for another 15 seconds. I've also seen people anticipating the lights to stay green after the pedestrain countdown ends and ending up running the red lights. Also seen too many pedestrians running across the road just to discover that no vehicle traffic is present for another 20 seconds.
Some are stupid short, some are stupid long:
This really made me laugh hahahahhhahah
Great info from the City of Ottawa:
Some are way too short, especially for people with mobility issues or young kids.
People that start moving forward while I'm still in the crosswalk boil my blood. If I didn't avoid confrontation like the plague I'd just stop for a few seconds... They'd probably just run me over though
Some lights are literally 15 seconds and others are a minute and a half. Some can even be a ridiculous two and a half minutes if there’s advanced greens and poor engineering (trying to cross Prince of Wales on the south side of Meadowlands literally takes that long, it’s absurd). Traffic light times have a huge range depending on the intersection.
My dad worked in traffic for decades at RMOC. This is exactly right.
That makes sense. Sucks to rationalize why it won't change, but I get it.
Cities for people, not cars.
If you hold down the crosswalk button for more than 5 seconds it will put the crosswalk into a longer cross time mode. Some will sound the blind person alarm and some will just add additional time to the crossing.
They all make the sound but it doesn't necessarily add extra time
Unfortunately though, not a lot of people actually know they do that and a lot of the crosswalks I see don't even have a button like at Chapel and Laurier
I didn’t know that that gave you extra time - I do that sometimes on the crosswalk near my home (which is ludicrously fast) more because I get bored waiting, it doesn’t seem to give us (noticeable) extra time.
All crosswalks? How have I been a pedestrian in this city for 20 years (sometimes with a meandering toddler) without knowing this?
I didn’t know that, thank you!
No, they’re clearly too long, in fact we should remove them because all they do is interrupt the important car traffic. Everyone knows car traffic is the most important!
Ah you're right, I can't believe I didn't think of it that way.
Unironically true.
The timing is different for each one.
No crosswalk should be set to anything less than 1 minute. The crosswalk at Daly and Nicholas is somewhere around 10 seconds IF THAT.
If you follow up on this with those responsible for the crosswalk timing and design, you will get a "blue pill" response that I suggest just taking. It isn't worth your sanity exploring this rabbit hole any further, and tracing the decision making backwards and truly understanding the scope of the problem.
NJB is great, he speaks the truth.
They are shorter if you do not hit the cross button. I have 2 children and cannot make it across with them if I do not push the button. When we use the button it doubles or even triples the time to cross.
Carling and Holland.
Domi with Horvat and Pod would be a very interesting line. BB's system seems to favour forechecking, so this line would have a lot of potential to unleash.
Get a few people to write your councillor, and identify the exact light(s), I have had a few lights changed this way.
You're the only one trying to find a solution, everyone else on here is more so just saying that it's how it is and it'd be a pain to fix so best leave it be.
My daughter went to a nursery school in OOS, traffic lights were way too short. We called the city and it was extended right away. Of course, this was 20 years ago, but it’s worth a call!
Call 3-1-1
A pedestrian light on carling was extended a few years ago after requests, so it does still seem to be possible. This one was near my old work, and extension meant you didn't have to run the last third
Ottawa is for cars.
And even then it's bad by driving standards. Roads are designed as an afterthought.
Yep. The one in Kanata going from the Centrum to The Signature Centre takes 10 minutes to change to Walk ( I understand this) but the walking guy stays for 4 seconds you can't get anywhere in 4 seconds! 😡
I have chronic pain flare ups which leads to occasional mobility issues which make me slower at times. On a good day my mobility is fine and I can walk at a pretty normal speed. On a good day it still feels rushed to cross at certain intersections.
Sometimes they’re shorter if you don’t hit the “beg button”. Just some boomer-minded, car-centric technology.
I'm all for the stupid little button but most crosswalks I use don't even have one. I really do hate car-centric cities, it's forgotten that people inhabit this city, not cars.
...wtf does a cross walk have to do with boomers...? Christ, people need stop blaming everything on everyone else.
wtf do you think the button is for if not altering the timing of the intersection to allow for pedestrians? And how is having a pedestrian button car centric?
It's a serious issue. The lights change from green to red so fast at some intersections. The yellow light is too quick I find and I end up having to break very hard to stop in time or get caught running a red.
If you're comfortable being an advocate, the city has a special reporting section for accessibility fails. I have gotten a bus stop curb lowered before after watching mobility scooters being dropped off in the intersection over and over. You don't have to need accommodation, you can see a need and advocate for those that may not. I am able bodied.
The crosswalk lights on bank/hunt club makes no sense. Whenever you cross bank, the pedestrian light always ends 5-15 seconds shorter before the traffic lights end for no apparent reason. The eastbound and westbound lights also end at different times at random. Even for drivers it could be misleading as people gauge when to brake with these countdowns and it's awkward when you braked and the light stayed green for another 15 seconds. I've also seen people anticipating the lights to stay green after the pedestrain countdown ends and ending up running the red lights. Also seen too many pedestrians running across the road just to discover that no vehicle traffic is present for another 20 seconds.