How to be a pedestrian

MoBikeFed President Rachel Ruhlen is a community blogger for Gatehouse Media. This article appeared Apr 8, 2015.

Photo by Columbia Parks & Rec

You might think there aren't any tricks to being a pedestrian. Just like bicycling is more than knowing how to ride a bike, there is a little more to walking than putting one foot in front of the other. 

Pedestrian safety is fairly straightforward and mainly consists of "Watch for cars!" You might not know that it is just as safe (or just as dangerous) to cross midblock as at a crosswalk-- but midblock crossings are illegal in many places. It's more important to know where to watch for cars: cars pulling in and out of driveways, parking lots, and parking spaces, and cars making right or left turns. 

There is one trick to being a pedestrian that most people don't know. I helped the police with data collection and for two hours a day, I watched pedestrians and cars at a crosswalk downtown. People who waited on the sidewalk for cars to yield had to wait a long time. People who went ahead and stepped into the crosswalk-- not into the path of oncoming traffic, just putting one foot in the crosswalk-- didn't have to wait very long before cars yielded. Not only is the "one foot in the crosswalk" trick effective, but it is also the law. Cars are required by law to stop at a crosswalk when there is a pedestrian IN the crosswalk. Cars don't have to stop for someone standing on the curb waiting for someone to stop and let them cross! 

One foot in the crosswalk is effective, it is a legal way to make cars stop for you, and it is SAFE. We're not talking about jumping out in front of traffic. Just one foot in the crosswalk is enough. 

If you see someone waiting to cross the street, stop and let her cross, even if one foot isn't in the crosswalk.

Read more of MoBikeFed President Rachel Ruhlen's articles on the President's Blog page.