Mixed Signals at Upper West Side Crosswalks

Upper West Siders don’t know whether to stay or go since crosswalk markers started malfunctioning in record numbers. According to the NY Post, at least 13 of the conflicting white "crossing man" and red "flashing hand" signals were counted in the neighborhood by City Councilwoman Gale Brewer's office. Brewer is concerned about the peril the mixed signals present to pedestrians, especially senior citizens. "We worry about them even if we have signals that are functioning properly," she said. "Now that they're not, it's even more of a worry." But what is the city going to do about it?

On her ten-block walk home from the supermarket one woman noticed seven broken signals. She called 311 to report the problem, but nothing was fixed. "I was stunned," said Brigitta Ortner, 81. "I thought this is the stupidest thing I've ever seen." Brewer's survey found “Walk” and “Don’t Walk” symbols flashing simultaneously at the SE corner of 64th Street and Broadway, at Columbus Avenue and 70th, 71st, 74th, 77th, 81st and 84th streets and at all four corners of 81st Street and Amsterdam Avenue. The Department of Transportation has now set about fixing the confusing crosswalks. According to the agency—which repaired the glass plates on 5,000 of the city’s 100,000 crosswalk signals last year—the markers have reached "the end of their expected seven-year life cycle."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Sabrina Jaszi in News on January 17, 2010 3:55 PM

Comments [rss]

FutureMan83

This has been happening every winter since the new style signs were installed you dumb transplant fucks.

ed_Extinct

Almost everyone of these signs is busted.

mashugana_ike

Reminds me of a great article I saw in the Villager last year: http://www.thevillager.com/villager_308/notebook.html

jennesy

You mean Upper WEST Side. That said, the same thing is happening on the NE corner of 78th & Lex. I haven't reported it but it's been broken for over 2 months now.

FranklinBluth

If the crosswalk signals don't work, can't people just look to the traffic lights?

jaycjay

Generally, to tell if cross traffic is allowed to move. But the cycle is different, meaning the yellow light on the traffic light won't come on until people walking across should have already been out of the intersection -- both to allow time to cross even for people who walk slowly, and to allow cars trying to turn to do so.

Tower18

I'm pretty sure that it's just the "Don't Walk" that gets stuck. If you see "Walk" even if there is a "Don't Walk" also present, you're okay to walk.

That's what I've seen anyway. And yeah, this is all over the city (and other cities).

calcetines

That's been my experience too.

Snoopy

If a person has any sense they will realize that the little pedestrian helper is not working. If they look at the stop light they will get a better idea if it is safe to cross the street. Life did exist prior to them being in place.

Do they have them on Park Avenue? That's a strange place to crossss the street.

MacMuttonchops

For a few blocks north of Grand Central there aren't any. It's something with the Metro-North tracks below. I remember talks awhile back of getting them put up, though...

I thought the broken signals were something that happened from the cold, that they got stuck or something. Any time I see one, the white man is giving a half-attempt at being completely bright when the hand is up or flashing.

inoyourider

Upper West Side, NOT Upper East Side

And yeah, the malfunctioning lights are all over the place.

city of never

It happens all over the city. At least some people have learned to be creative about it (on the Bowery, someone decided to put black tape over all the fingers except the middle finger to ... well, you can imagine the end result).

Anyway. Linked to this article on my blog, too. http://cityofnever.wordpress.com

drystarr

where's thundercut when you need them? Always clever crosswalk modifications...

marycat

I'm pretty sure you mean Upper West Side, not Upper West Side, considering all the intersections that you quote and the Post article you linked to.

That being said, I'm seeing it in my corner of Brooklyn, at least 3 signs within 2 blocks of my apartment. SO maybe it is happening on the upper east side too.

potsmoker

its a built in money making mechanism, usually something that has a expected seven-year life cycle stops working.

now its blinking both signals, hmmmm, reverse hack it and figure it out, thats BS.

thanks bloomberg. i guess the solution is to BUY MORE..hahha $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$,, get it kiddos.

prob someone connected to the DOT or bloomberg, who got kickbacks, classic nyc BS

squatch

wow. put down the joint.

squatch

i've seen this all over brooklyn, too

nicemarmot

Yeah once again this is happening all over. Been happening in east midtown where I live for the last year or so.

prindymas

yah, this happens so regularly, i assumed the simultaneous signals meant something else. like, "you can probably walk, but you should probably check just to make sure because people are crazy assholes around here."

which i guess isn't the most inaccurate thing for a city crosswalk signal to say.