Contested ground: true tales of the crosswalk

The Baltimore Sun

In the Darwinian world of transportation, pedestrians dwell at the very bottom of the food chain.

That means, if we are to have a society based on law rather than tonnage, we have an obligation to protect humble foot travelers - even when they go skittering across our roadways like cockroaches on crystal meth.

Pedestrians, particularly that hardy breed that occupies the city of Baltimore, certainly can try the patience of motorists. It was once suggested to me that Baltimore is home to the worst pedestrians on the planet. I could find no empirical basis for that premise - pedestrian death rates are far higher in Florida's deadly mix of elderly drivers and walkers - but five days a week I see abundant reasons to consider our city a contender.

There's the Oblivious Pedestrian, who crosses against the light in a seeming trance, often with cell phone in hand. There's the Apologetic Pedestrian, making gestures of supplication before scooting across the motorist's path in mid-block.

There's the Darting Pedestrian, jumping out from between cars and racing across the street just inches from your bumper. And there's the Defiant Pedestrian, languidly oozing across the street against the light while fixing the driver whose right of way he's usurping with a menacing glare.

Alas, it's right there in the rulebook: Drivers are obliged to yield to each and every one of them.

So those readers who reacted to my recent columns about crosswalk violations by bemoaning the bad behavior of pedestrians in other instances or the inconvenient placement of a crosswalk miss the point. It's a crosswalk. It's a fact of life. People are in it. We have to stop.

Or do we? Consider the testimony of reader Steve Shimko of Catonsville, who likes to run on the BWI Trail - which includes marked pedestrian crosswalks where it crosses driveways.

"I consistently have problems with State of Maryland vehicles failing to yield to pedestrians at those locations. These vehicles include BWI shuttle buses and Maryland Department of Transportation Authority Police. Both these entities should know better. One would at least expect the police to know the law and abide by it, but that does not appear to be the case here. If the police [flout] and ignore the regulations, why expect any more out of the general driving public?"

Hello, Chief Marcus Brown. Hello, airport boss Tim Campbell. Isn't it about time you issued a reminder? Please copy me.

Audrey Smith of Towson writes that she's complained about the issue to the State Highway Administration and the commander at her police precinct.

"She told me to get a tag number and call the police. But it's hard to get a tag number when you've almost been mowed down. I've since given up," Smith writes.

Matthew Marzolf of Baltimore recounts how effective the suggested strategy is in the city. He was walking on Calvert Street, stopped at Saratoga when the "don't walk" sign was on, then proceeded when the light turned white.

"I started across and some jackass pulls halfway into the crosswalk area and just LAYS on his horn while inching towards me from a yard away. Once I was out of his lane I point to the "Walk" sign as he leans out the window and before I can even say anything he yells [something involving Marzolf's love for his mother] and hurls one of those 32-ounce Big Gulps at me."

Marzolf wrote down the driver's tag number and reported the incident to a police officer down the street. "He just shrugged. Go figure," Marzolf writes.

It's official. Assault with a Big Gulp is legal in Baltimore.

Paul Romney of Baltimore has lived in places where crosswalks are respected - particularly his native Britain and Toronto. He writes that the crosswalks of Baltimore have been "effete" - don't you love that word? - since he moved here in 1981.

Romney thinks it would take more than a cultural shift to fix matters here. "The design of the crosswalk has to be suitably imposing."

Toronto, according to Romney, uses a system that lets the pedestrian turn on a red light, stopping traffic. He suggests that might be needed here.

"Take the crosswalk on York Road just north of Stevenson Lane in Towson. It had flashing yellow lights to alert drivers, but flashing yellow lights tell a driver to keep moving, not to stop. The crosswalk was a joke until, very recently, pedestrians were enabled to activate a red stoplight," he writes. "Systems vary, but they all suggest that, on a wide and busy street at least, only a red light will induce a driver to stop."

Sadly, he may be right. Just what we need. More red lights.

Bay Bridge tip

Enough with crosswalks. Maryland Transportation Authority spokeswoman Cheryl Sparks has a tip regarding the Bay Bridge.

According to Sparks, eastbound traffic on the bridge has been moving briskly despite heavy volume on Friday nights. She says the worst backups have been coming around midday Saturdays because of beach rental schedules. She suggests that travelers hit the bridge before 10 a.m. to avoid delays - even if it means killing a few hours on the Eastern Shore before check-in.

Sounds reasonable. Let me know how it works. For current reports on Bay Bridge conditions, call 877-BAYSPAN (877-229- 7726).

gettingthere@baltsun.com

Last week's column brought a heavy e-mail response from readers. Selected emails can be viewed at www.baltimore sun.com.

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