Photos: Legitimizing bikes in pedestrian crossings

September 29, 2011 • Posted by: Michael McKisson

Part of the ongoing design and implementation of the Fourth Avenue Bike Boulevard project is making the pedestrian HAWK signal more bicycle friendly.

The above sign along Ft. Lowell precedes the crossing. The idea is to alert motorists that both pedestrians and bicyclists will use the light.

The signs are in addition to the pavement marking showing cyclists they should ride on the sidewalk to activate the signal.

The city also added these signs on the signal itself.

Tom Thivener said the city is waiting on a custom sign that will hang over the lights that will include a photo of a bike and a pedestrian and merely say crossing.

These signs are in addition to the pavement markings indicating cyclists should ride up on the sidewalk to activate the signal.

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6 comments

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Strawman

Toucans have stop signals. If you cross against the light you've just disobeyed a traffic signal. Hawks have pedestrian do not walk signals. I imagine pedestrians cannot cross against the signal and I would venture a guess this would apply to a bicycle in the crosswalk. If you are at the hawk in the roadway and traffic clears and you cross you'd be the same as any vehicle and I hope you wouldn't be cited for failure to obey a traffic control device.

allez

Way to go, adding to the confusion around the city. As a cyclist first and a driver second, I also have an aversion to stopping traffic unnecessarily. Just use the roadway like a normal moving vehicle. Cyclists should dismount and walk if they are going to use a crosswalk. Not pedal across.

The TOUCANs are designed for riding through. This modified HAWK and the rest of the crosswalks in town, I don't think dismounting is required. It would be the courteous thing to do if there were a lot of pedestrians crossing. But, if we are talking to just satisfy some driver's sensitivities, then I'd pedal through every time. It would also be an unnecessary delay.

I have an aversion for unnecessarily stopping traffic, too. Cyclists can be ticketed for not using the signals at TOUCANs (like at University & Stone). I don't know if it's the same at these HAWKs. I like this sign for its educational feature lettimg cars know bikes can use crosswalks. Long-held misconceptions like bikes belonging in the 'bike lane' could be similarly addressed with appropriately placed 'BIKES MAY USE FULL LANE signage. It's too bad Arizona doesn't require drivers to review traffic laws via license renewal every four years, but the repetitve nature of signage might actually be better.

Martha Retallick

Whenever I come to this intersection, I just wait for the coast to be clear so I can just pedal across Fort Lowell. I seldom bother with the traffic-stopper signal.