I question the advisability of a pedestrian crosswalk that is not marked with a traffic light. I realize that on several occasions, by stopping my car to let a pedestrian pass in a crosswalk, I have actually created a situation that posed a genuine risk to the pedestrian's life. Case in point was last night at 6:30 p.m. in front of the Jade Palace Restaurant on Main Street in Carrboro. There are three lanes of traffic -- two westbound and one eastbound. On coming up to the crosswalk, there were two pedestrians waiting for traffic to stop -- one on each side of the street by the Jade Palace and by the Bank of America. I stopped. The car heading east in the opposite lane also stopped. The pedestrians began to cross -- when out of the blue, a car came barreling through the crosswalk in the second westbound center lane. Both pedestrians very narrowly missed getting hit. This same "pedestrian set-up" has happened on several occasions: I stop to let a pedestrian pass in front, and the driver in the adjacent lane does not stop. My stopping in fact invites the pedestrian onto the street. My position in the lane in relation to the pedestrian can act as a block for the pedestrian to see the oncoming car, and I realize, my car may also block the driver from seeing the pedestrian. Crosswalks without a traffic signal create extremely hazardous situations. (And actually, while we are on this topic of conversation, many of the crosswalks with traffic lights have such a short green-go for pedestrians that the elderly and families with strollers, dogs and several knee-high children are severely challenged to cross between the green and red lights.) If we choose to continue using crosswalks without traffic lights, then the rules need to be more widely publicized and enforced. I have sent a copy of this letter to the Carrboro chief of police and would appreciate a clarifying statement concerning the expectations for a driver at a non-traffic-lighted pedestrian crosswalk.
Laura Shmania
Chapel Hill
