At the Crosswalk

FROM ROSS NUNAMAKER

Maybe I've had it wrong all these years. Anyone who has been reading more than a year or two knows that I've written many, many posts about pedestrian safety in the borough. Particularly when crosswalks are involved. And especially at crosswalks with crossing guards.

It has always been my understanding that a vehicle should yield to a pedestrian if the pedestrian is standing at the corner or in the crosswalk wanting to cross the road.

Further, I believe the vehicle should wait until the person is out of the cross walk and onto the sidewalk. I know, this takes two or three seconds that are incredibly valuable to the driver and it could happen a couple of times a day, but that is what I believe to be the law.

I also understood that if a crossing guard was in an intersection that all traffic should wait until the crossing guard and pedestrians are out of the intersection.

Today I dropped my daughter off at Shafer. I was on Belvidere travelling west toward Broad when I stopped at the corner where Mitch's Market is located (Belvidere and New). Opposite me on Belvidere travelling east with its right turn signal on was a school bus. In the intersection was a crossing guard with the stop sign held aloft. At New Street on the south side heading east toward Shafer was a parent and child crossing the street. As they finished crossing New they turned north toward Mitch's crossing Belvidere infront of my vehicle. As soon as they began heading north and had cleared New, with the crossing guard in the intersection and sign held up, the bus made the right had turn toward Tatamy Road.

Earlier, I had seen a student walking to the Middle School. I see her most days as she lives in the homes just across from the building. She was standing in the intersection, with a crosswalk at the entrance to the building. I watched at least seven vehicles coming from both directions making rights and lefts into the building drive on through. Not one of them stopped. I made sure I stopped as I was exiting far enough back and made eye contact and waived when she was ready to finally cross. All the while, an Upper Nazareth Police Officer stood infront of the parent pick up to make sure children were dropped off properly (he is there most every day).

Could someone please explain to me what the law actually is? Do pedestrians have to be out of the roadway or just out of your probable way? Is this ever enforced? And if not, why bother having the law?


Posted via email from Ross Nunamaker

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