Pedestrians crossing flags and cross walk buttons are frustrating.  They lower the status of pedestrians and reinforce an auto-dominated culture by requiring pedestrians to perform special actions in order to navigate a city.  We shouldn't have to ask for permission to cross a public street and we shouldn't have to wave brightly colored flags as a deterrence to being run over.  But despite how they make many urban advocates feel they can be both necessary and useful as a tool to transition to a more walkable environment.  So from a pragmatic perspective, as well as one from a parent, I feel compelled to defend them and their true intent.

Ideally we would like to fix every street and intersection so that pedestrians are the priority, but in reality we cannot.  With budgetary constraints, priority, or lack of infrastructure we cannot snap our fingers and undo decades of auto-centric planning, design, and construction.  While we shouldn't be accepting such minimal changes in our Downtowns and other highly walkable communities, they can be an effective tool in emerging walkable communities and those that are in need of even greater work.  They are by no means a final solution, but in an age where tactical urbanism and small scale changes lead to greater improvement, they can at least begin a conversation of awareness.

Pedestrian Flags

Pedestrian flags are a form of tactical urbanism whether we like them or not.  They are an inexpensive nimble tool, and should not be treated as a final solution.  In environments that are emerging as walkable and those that we want to make walkable they begin raising the visibility and profile of pedestrians to drivers that have otherwise ruled the world.  They can capture the attention of drivers, and they can raise awareness that an intersection or crossing needs further improvements.  And while the effectiveness of these flags has varied we should also be keenly aware of the intended primary users.

These flags originated as tools for safe crossings to schools.  They raised the visibility of our youngest and least experienced pedestrians.  And while I can only dream of the day where an 8 year old can cross the street without fear of being run over absent of waving a colored flag, those days are still a long way away, especially in communities that weren't built for walking.   An able bodied 25 year old will likely never use these flags, due to image or idealism, and no one is forcing them to.  But they can be useful and empowering to those that aren't as nimble or confident in crossing the street.  While buttons and flags may make the savviest urban pedestrian feel foolish, they can also provide comfort and a sense of safety for those that are not.  And it isn't the savvy urban pedestrian that we need to convince what we need more walkable environments, it is the tourist, the suburban family accustomed to a life behind the wheel, the elderly, and those with disabilities.  If you don't want to use the flag that is fine, but others may find it necessary or comforting.  Anything that we can do to ease and transition others into a walkable lifestyle, that doesn't compromise the walkability for others, should be fully supported.  

The Beg Button

As for beg buttons, we shouldn't be enraged that they exist.  We should be enraged at how unequal they treat pedestrians in their timing.  Pushing a button isn't degrading.  Being provided 15 seconds to cross four lanes of traffic is, no matter your physical health.  No one should be getting the 'hurry up' flash before their second foot has even left the curb, especially when cars are allowed to barrel through an intersection for minutes at a time, unhurried and unobstructed.  Meanwhile the pedestrian is rushed and often left to navigate an unpredictable environment.  Pushing a button doesn't infringe on a person's ability to walk, drivers failing to obey a pedestrian's right of way in the crosswalk does.  Having to push a button might be irritating to many urbanists, but anger and frustration aimed at this harmless act diverts attention from the many more important issues related to pedestrian safety.  A driver does not base his or her behavior on whether a pedestrian pushes a button.  Their behavior is directly influenced by the built environment around them, allowable speed, and the visibility of all other modes of travel.

As a Parent

As a parent who walks most places with my child, I don't trust drivers.  Not because I think every driver is unsafe or evil, despite how many I have come across that fit the mold.  But because we all get distracted.  And as unacceptable as that is, having 100 percent certainty that every driver is paying full attention to the task at hand will never happen.  There is no effective way for me to measure the level of attention every driver is giving the road.  Placing the safety of my child in the hands of others operating two tons of metal hurling through the streets is not something I am willing to do.  I want every safety measure I can get, particularly when I am in a location that isn't as walkable as a Downtown, or if I am attempting to navigate mid-block crossings.

Orange flags may frustrate us at our inability to make drivers understand that they are operating in a shared environment, or that a city hasn't prioritized an intersection that we feel should be improved immediately.  And a beg button does make many feel second-class to drivers no matter the context.  But both of these provide a level of safety and awareness whether real or perceived.  They are another tool in a set to make pedestrians more visible and better integrated into environments that have been unequivocally dominated by automobiles. 

So don't be frustrated when you see orange flags.  No one is forcing you to pick one up, and they likely weren't put there for you.  Be frustrated when you see that they are used as a permanent solution.  Be frustrated at the arrogance of so many drivers who believe they do not have to yield to pedestrians, flag or no flag.  As much as we would like to see all drivers have to get out and push a button in order to proceed through an intersection, being an idealist will not help us create the walkable environments we all want to see.  An extra layer of safety, real or perceived, only advances that mission, by encouraging a diverse range pedestrians.

Photo Credit: Urban Pedestrian Infrastructure/shutterstock