Have you ever heard about those hours-long pay-it-backward chains at coffee drive-thrus and felt both inspired, but a little left out because as someone who does not have a car, you would be unable to join in? Not to worry, pedestrians can spread kindness, and without the added cost. Next time you are at an intersection in Hartford, press the beg button. As you know, this signals that a pedestrian crossing phase is needed.
Only a few intersections in the city — the two I know of are Market and Talcott Streets, and Main and Pearl Streets — automatically give those on foot a chance to safely cross without the indignity of having to make a special request for access to the intersection. It used to be that pressing the beg button on Trumbull en route to Bushnell Park would actually speed up the traffic cycle and grant pedestrians the right of way almost immediately, but this has been eliminated and now the wait time for the pedestrian phase is similar to or longer than that at most other intersections. The only beg button that produces a nearly-instant pedestrian phase is on Capitol Avenue between the Connecticut State Library and the Capitol.
How many times have you missed the opportunity for a pedestrian phase because you were busy wrangling the kids and arrived at the beg button a few seconds too late? Who wants to stand for over two minutes in a downpour? What about when that becomes a five minute wait because emergency vehicles enter the intersection during the long awaited pedestrian phase? As we move through a world that has been transformed to be more convenient for machines and less so for people, acts of kindness like hitting a button for a neighbor walking one block behind you, those go a long way. Pay it forward!
Richard Nelson
Kerri
Great job! Beware of crossing between the State Library and the State Capitol. So many drivers do not realize(?) since there is no intersection, that there is even a walk light, and keep coming. Tim almost got hit by Edith Prague on summer morning as she ignored the red light and came barreling through. Must have been late or believe that who she was gave her the right to cross though red. The old curmudgeon saint almost ran down the artist T.E.D in her haste to do the states bidding.
As a walker if I feel that the walk light isn’t on for long enough to get me and others across the street I slow down, or I walk with the slowest walker trying to cross. If I see a car attempting to come through when the walk light is on I quickly become a snail.