The in basket: Last year Kitsap Sun photo chief Steve
Zugschwerdt encouraged me to watch people on foot at intersections
with push-button walk-don’t walk lights to count how many times
they push the button to change the light.
It should only take once, he said, but people seem to push them
three or four times, he observed.
The in basket: Last year Kitsap Sun photo chief Steve Zugschwerdt
encouraged me to watch people on foot at intersections with
push-button walk-don’t walk lights to count how many times they
push the button to change the light.
It should only take once, he said, but people seem to push them
three or four times, he observed.
It was an engaging idea, but I never did it. I personally push
those buttons more than once, since I can never tell when the light
has gotten the message that I’m waiting, and if it doesn’t, I have
to wait for the light in every direction to cycle before I get
another chance.
The out basket: Better days are ahead for people like me who like a
little feedback from electronic equipment to say my request
registered.
Larry Hugel of the Kitsap County signal shop tells me they are
replacing the dome-shaped buttons that move noticeably when you
push them with flatter ones you have to depress only slightly and
that require very little pressure. Better yet, a red light flashes
in their center and they beep.
Eliminating uncertainty for the pedestrian is a by-product of their
main purpose, ease of use for the disabled and greater resistance
to vandalism, Larry said.
You can see them on some of the pedestrian signals in front of
Central Kitsap High School and on both ends of the mid-block
crosswalk in front of Silverdale Village. If they works as
expected, the dome-shaped ones will be replaced when they require
maintenance.
