Street signals at more than a dozen intersections in downtown Los Angeles will now give pedestrians a head start over drivers planning to turn into crosswalks, Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar announced today.
At those intersections, the “walking man” signal indicating that it is time to cross the street will blink on a few seconds before the light switches to green for drivers.
The extra seconds will allow crossing pedestrians the chance to become more visible to motorists, according to city officials.
The newly timed crosswalks are at 16 intersections surrounding the Grand Central Market along Broadway, where a test run of the head start signals was conducted in 2014.
The intersections are along Main, Spring, Broadway and Hill streets, stretching from First Street near Los Angeles City Hall to Fifth Street near Pershing Square.
Huizar said the newly timed crosswalks “make our streets safer for pedestrians while encouraging foot traffic in downtown Los Angeles’s increasingly dynamic urban environment.”
