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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
 
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By law the pedestrian has the right of way. You are right about cars not stopping. My fear is that one day I am going to stop for a pedestrian and the impatient idiot behind me is gonna pass on the left and take out the pedestrian. People have to remember that if they are in a car then they are going to get where they are going a lot faster than the person on foot. I must say that I have no fear of walking across a street even if it means a speeding driver must slam on their brakes. F^^k the speeding idiots.
Posted on: 2013/6/26 13:54
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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I think what it comes down to is that it is a privilege to operate a motor vehicle. Its a right to be able to cross the street. Auto drivers in this thread need to get over themselves, its not O.K. to drive like an idiot "because this is a city and there are a lot of cars" or that "people in cars are busy and need to get where they are going". People have a basic right to walk safely at intersections and if it means the car drivers have to wait than they must take this as part of the price of the privilege of operating a car.
Posted on: 2013/6/26 13:29
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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Quick question for the crowd. When you have a 2-way street with crosswalks but no signals or stop signs (like Jersey Ave), I assume the requirement to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk is the same, right? I ask because I have often stopped on my side, only to have about a million cars coming the other way fail to stop, to the point where the people behind me are honking, but the pedestrian still can't cross.
Am I wrong about this, and is there some exemption for 2-way streets? It seems like there's about a 1% chance of cars going in both directions stopping at the crossing... On the subject of deathtrap crossings. The un-signaled crosswalk on Marin near the 12th St. Holland Tunnel entrance. There are huge, neon yellow warning signs, but if you cross there when people are rushing to get into the tunnel you are totally taking your life in your own hands.
Posted on: 2013/6/26 13:18
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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The set up where a WALK sign is only displayed if someone pushes a button is allowed by state law, but is only recommended for areas where pedestrian traffic is very low. Obviously this isn't the case for Jersey City and it's almost obscene that pedestrians are put in the back seat at crossing situations.
I would love it if 7th and Monmouth had stop signs on both sides, instead of just on Monmouth. People speed down 7th from Newark because there's nothing impeding them. Cars going north on Monmouth inevitably have a hard time seeing oncoming traffic on 7th because of illegally parked cars at the intersection, usually customers of the Music Box, but also very often customers of the pharmacy on the corner. The parking regulations are completely ignored by the Parking Authority there.
Posted on: 2013/6/26 1:10
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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If you're talking about that crosswalk right in the middle of the hill, I'll concur it's a deathtrap without a stop sign. I don't know what they were thinking. Surely you can choose a safer crosswalk with a light like Palisade or 4th? It's not like the daycare is right there. As for knowing when you'll get a crosswalk by looking at the other direction, it only works at simple intersections, not with any turn signals or such. And those simple intersections are the ones where you don't even need the signal, you can go by the traffic lights. What get's me craziest on a daily basis at school dismissal time is the crossing guard at Montgomery and Bergen who won't stop people from crossing against the "don't walk" during the brief left turn signal. She's pathetic, Mrs Brown from the old LCCS site would have scorched their ears till they obeyed or melted into a puddle.
Posted on: 2013/6/26 0:58
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Newbie
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Everyday I have to cross Newark at the intersection of Waldo & Pavonia by Dickinson High School twice, while walking to pick up my son from daycare and again walking back with him. I cannot even count the number of times we have come close to being mowed down. In addition, the number of near misses (major rear end collisions) that I witness happen when one civil driver/car decides to be nice enough to stop for me/us in a crosswalk. It's terrifying and just seems so completely and entirely absurd. I really just don't understand.
Posted on: 2013/6/26 0:39
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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The point of having to push a button to get a walk sign is ostensibly to improve traffic flow.
A main street will have a green light longer for auto traffic longer than a side street. If someone pushes the Walk button then it will allow more time when it is time to switch to Green on the side to also allow for someone to cross by walking. If someone doesn't, the system assumes no one needs to cross, and will only give a brief green light to the side street. In cities or neighborhoods where pedestrians are always walking, the walk button is dispensed with because it is assumed there will almost always be someone who needs to cross the street. I recall when I grew up in NYC the walk buttons were in some intersections in the outer boroughs, not sure if they are still there. Personally, I think it's time to get rid of the buttons. It is all based around auto-centric planning, which is what we need to get rid of.
Posted on: 2013/6/25 22:35
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Home away from home
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Better yet, make it a Delayed Green Light. Yield to Pedestrians.
Posted on: 2013/6/25 22:30
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Quite a regular
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I recall on Grove crossing Montgomery, the pedestrian light worked that way until the last 1-2 years - then it was configured to go to Walk automatically.
Posted on: 2013/6/25 22:24
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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Yeah, the PATH station is a nice idea/shortcut. It would be awesome if the Marin PATH entrance also had one as I find the Columbus and Marin intersection a little precarious with all the traffic trying to beat the lights into the Holland Tunnel queue. But I guess lack of foresight and poor planning was the name of the game when that entrance was built.
Some larger cities improve traffic flow by providing underground passages and skywalks to allow for free flowing uni-direction traffic (and presumably, minimize pedestrian-related accidents). I mean, how many people need to be injured or killed by reckless drivers before we get any change in behaviors? Quote:
Posted on: 2013/6/25 22:16
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Home away from home
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I didn't know you had to push the walk button. I thought it automatically sequenced into "walk" . I thought the walk button was just to speed things up a bit :)
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Posted on: 2013/6/25 22:08
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Newbie
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I find it crazy that our own local police force won't show the courtesy and respect to stop at crosswalks for pedestrians. I've had this happen on both Jersey Ave and Grove St many times, and they never had their lights on or look like they were in a rush.
Posted on: 2013/6/25 21:54
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Home away from home
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The fact that Columbus Dr. crosswalks won't say "walk" is truly asinine. What purpose does that possibly serve?
Posted on: 2013/6/25 20:06
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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I've had the exact same experience interacting with Fulop, and he's recently said he's going to try to change things specifically regarding traffic calming. There needs to be a stop sign at EVERY intersection along 8th st.
One issue that people here rarely talk about is the Washington Blvd crossing between Newport Mall and the PATH station. The light cycle is so skewed in favor of cars that aren't there that people pay almost no attention to it. Apparently the weird steel structure next to the station was intended to be part of a pedestrian bridge over Washington Blvd but of course it never got fully built. Quote:
Posted on: 2013/6/25 20:04
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Home away from home
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I've walked the streets of JC on a daily basis for 7+ years, and I don't feel that the motorists here are any more jerky than in any other extremely dense urban environment that I've walked in.
Are there a lot of bad drivers who know nothing about the pedestrians having the right of way? Yes, but not any more than in other parts of the country. I wonder where the original poster lived prior to living in JC?
Posted on: 2013/6/25 20:02
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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Only if someone pushed the button first, otherwise both signs will just say 'Don't Walk' through the whole cycle of lights.
Posted on: 2013/6/25 19:53
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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...or you could just look to the crossing sign that's perpendicular to the one for you, understanding that that count-down is also for how much longer you have to wait...
Posted on: 2013/6/25 18:56
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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I have lived around Hamilton Park for 25 years. Some of the worst offenders are residents and neighbors. It seems that some people feel it's okay for them to roll through Stop signs because they pay taxes or something. I am talking about parents with kids. Other big offenders are cops (both on and off duty), delivery cars/trucks and city vehicles. Like I've said a million times, it's going to take a tragedy of epic proportions to get the city to act.
Posted on: 2013/6/25 18:52
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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A huge part of the problem is there's no feedback when you push the button, so you know SOMETHING will happen. Ever push an elevator button and it not light up? That's when you realize how comforting that light is, , that you know your need has been heard and will eventually be met. Most of us have sat at crosswalks that never ever change, it's disheartening, and discouraging to actually waiting. They need to add a countdown clock to when you can cross, not just how long there is left to cross.
Posted on: 2013/6/25 18:36
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Home away from home
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Quote:
Posted on: 2013/6/25 18:18
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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The problem in JC is that the walk signs won't ever say 'Walk' unless someone has pushed the button. So people are conditioned to look at the lights. If they wait for it to say walk, they may be out of luck. It's also a problem when you approach an intersection after the light has turned. Does it say 'Don't walk' because there's no time to cross or because there was no one there to press the button?
Posted on: 2013/6/25 18:13
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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While we're on the topic, does anyone know whether there should be a stop sign on York Street @ Barrow Street?
In the Street View below it shows a crosswalk sign (the sign is currently missing, but the pole is still there). There's a line in the road that suggests a stop sign, but there is none. I always wait for drivers, half of the drivers wait for me. Annoying little intersection. StreetView of area
Posted on: 2013/6/25 17:27
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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That crosswalk takes forever. Best to cut through the PATH station to get to the other side.
Posted on: 2013/6/25 17:15
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Newbie
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Pedestrians can and do exploit the rule at times. It's a timing thing. There are definitely moments when a pedestrian approaching a crossing could let the car pass without slowing themselves down. I've had to stop short in my car because a pedestrian talking to someone on a corner with their back to the intersection just up and decides to turn around and cross.
I just think there are pedestrians out there who will cross just because they can with no advantage to themselves while disadvantaging the motorist. I know it's a small thing and, again, I do believe that the law is necessary overall.
Posted on: 2013/6/25 17:05
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Not too shy to talk
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firstly, this is not the suburbs. This is Jersey city, we are a city and people are always in a rush. People will play frogger to get to where they have to be on time and people will ignore yield signs to do the same. You just have to keep your eyes open and watch out for yourself and other drivers as well.
secondly, I believe people in this country, let alone this city, need to reasses the way they drive. Texting and driving eating and driving putting on make up and driving you are the problems of the situation we speak of.
Posted on: 2013/6/25 16:57
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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The question you pose is interesting and i appreciate your sensitivity for drivers in rush to get somewhere, but I'm not understanding you how think pedestrians are exploiting this fact. If no one stops for you how are you expected to cross the street? Like the game frogger? Cross walks and traffic rules exist for the safety of pedestrians and drivers alike. Get used to it. We're not a 3rd world country (although the drivers do drive like we're in Beirut on market day...honk honk)
Posted on: 2013/6/25 16:43
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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JC specifically has allowed the maniac driving culture that exists in town. They have not taken traffic calming or pedestrian safety even remotely seriously. I asked Fulop on and off over the years about lack of synchronized crosswalk signals, lack of Yield to Pedestrian signs, etc and he said the powers that be could care less. All they're focused on is getting the traffic in and out of JC as quickly as possible.
Now that he has more power, hopefully some meaningful change can occur. We as residents must demand a serious effort for pedestrian and bicycle safety. Why should we pay hefty taxes and allow commuters from the burbs to fly through our streets putting us all at risk? Maybe that can be the legacy of this horrible accident that took the life of a very nice JC entrepreneur...
Posted on: 2013/6/25 16:43
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Newbie
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Ok, I'm gonna play devil's advocate here for a second and say that walking into a crosswalk with faith in a motorist's adherence to state law is disregard for your own life. I'm not advocating it, but having been born and raised jersey, that could be the popular mentality. Like you, I feel perturbed in other parts of the country, but for the opposite reason. It seems ludicrous, but I'm always surprised and a little irked when a passing motorist stops for me after I just set my foot in the street. And get this - the reason is empathy. I don't want them to stop there momentum for me when it would take just a second for them to pass me. It seems wasteful. And then I feel rushed to get to the other side. Now I'm holding him up when he really wouldn't have held me up had he passed. It depends on the situation. Of course the rule is crucial for pedestrian safety, but I think it's often exploited by pedestrians unnecessarily. What do you think?
Posted on: 2013/6/25 16:24
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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Don't get me started on the delayed walking sign on Grove and Columbus.....people need to follow signals and not just walk when it is red.
Posted on: 2013/6/25 16:14
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Re: Drivers and Crosswalks
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Home away from home
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When I was in high school, i got a ticket for failing to yield when I tried to turn right and somebody was trying to cross the street. Ever since then, I've been careful.
I think JC can enforce this type of behavior with all other drivers by issuing more tickets! If Mayor Fulop stationed several police officers at the corner of Marin and Columbus I bet they could write a ticket for almost every light change. First off you have jaywalkers crossing across Marin immediately when the traffic signal turns green even though there is a Red Hand in front of their face. These idiots risk their lives with people trying to make left turns with their green turn arrow. Secondly, you have almost every time the last 2 cars turning left even though there is no room and creating gridlock. Or they turn left and do not yield to the pedestrians when it is their turn to walk. Otherwise, the city should just make left turns only allowed when they have an arrow. Whenever I drive by this intersection, it is amazing how bad it has got over the last several years. It is scary to even think what it may look like with 2 more towers coming in.
Posted on: 2013/6/25 16:07
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