SAMANTHA O'BRIEN/TECHNICIAN
The new crosswalk signs on Hillsoborugh Street near North Residence Hall.
Along Hillsborough Street and on a few other Raleigh streets, pedestrians no longer have to listen to chirping crosswalk signs, as the city has installed new buttons which instead say, “Wait.”
Chelsea Pierce, a North Hall resident and junior in English, said she believes the change comes from the possibility of preventing jaywalking.
According to highway safety researchers, distracted walkers are just as much to blame for the high number of pedestrian collisions in the state as distracted drivers.
Pedestrians sometimes put themselves in danger by ignoring traffic circles, failing to use crosswalks or being distracted by technology.
“People walking across the street are the problem,” Caroline Higgins, a sophomore in management, said.
Pierce said she doesn’t think the implementation of the new crosswalk will fix this problem.
“People will cross whenever they get the chance to,” Pierce said. Many pedestrians cross whether or not the sign tells them to.
The Triangle is often ranked as one of the most dangerous places for pedestrians, according to the Raleigh Public Record. About 400 pedestrians are hit annually in the Triangle, and 350 are killed or injured.
Wake County, specifically Raleigh, is ranked second in the state in the number of annual crashes involving pedestrians. Mecklenburg County, specifically Charlotte, is ranked first.
Police have tried several methods to decrease the number of pedestrian crashes. Sgt. J.J. King of the Raleigh Police Department said police are focusing their efforts on the most dangerous intersections in Raleigh, especially the crosswalk in front of the John M. Alexander YMCA on Hillsborough Street.
A campaign called Watch For Me NC, which was started in August 2012, aims to reduce the number of vehicle-pedestrian collisions. Currently, Watch For Me NC is directed towards Triangle communities, but members hope the organization grows to be statewide. The program coordinates with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Higgins said she did not prefer the new crosswalk buttons to the old ones because it is unclear whether or not the button registers once it has been pushed. She also said she did not like how pedestrians have to pay attention to the signs to know when to cross rather than listen to beeps.
Pierce said she thought the new crosswalk took away from the classic feel of Hillsborough Street. However, Pierce said she likes how the new crosswalk buttons fit in with Avent Ferry Road.
“If you are normally on Hillsborough Street, you know what to do,” Pierce said. “I don’t expect [the street] to change.”