West Hartford: Safely Use Pedestrian Crosswalk Signals

Town of West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, CT — West Hartford's ongoing 'Vision Zero' push for pedestrian traffic safety has resulted in new crosswalk signal technology and a local education campaign on how to use them.

West Hartford officials are urging folks to always press the button at signalled crosswalks and wait for the "walking person" image or the audible message before stepping off the curb.

"Crossing against the steady or flashing hand, even inside the crosswalk, is jaywalking and unsafe," wrote the town in a recent announcement.

Some intersections, like the one at the Boulevard and Quaker Lane South, now use a "Concurrent Pedestrian Phase" with a "Leading Pedestrian Interval," the town wrote.

What that means is pedestrians have a 4-second head start before cars get the green light.

"This feature makes pedestrians more visible to drivers and has been proven to reduce crashes by up to 13 percent," wrote the Town of West Hartford.

Pedestrians must cross in the same direction as traffic and the walk signal.

This type of signal does not allow for all-way crossing and, town officials said, turning drivers must yield to pedestrians.

According to the town, here’s how it works:

• Push the button for the direction you want to cross.
• Wait for the WALK signal.
• Look both ways and cross safely.

This effort is part of West Hartford’s Vision Zero Action Plan, which aims to support safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for everyone. Vision Zero is a national initiative to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries. For more information, visit WestHartfordCT.gov/VisionZero and take the Safe Driver Pledge.