In case you’re not familiar with the term “pedestrian scramble,” it is the name given to crosswalks that allow pedestrians to cross an intersection from all directions; meaning it has diagonal crosswalks that go through the intersection. Nashville has installed some of these crosswalks on Lower Broadway to increase pedestrian safety, but how do they work and how should you navigate one?
A pedestrian scramble is primarily used for high-traffic intersections because it allows for a larger number of pedestrians to cross the intersection than a typical crosswalk. It achieves this by stopping all vehicles at the same time and giving a walk signal to pedestrians in all directions. Since you can also cross the intersection diagonally, it cuts down on how many times pedestrians have to wait to cross the intersection.
If these intersections are navigated correctly, they can make busy intersections much safer for pedestrians. Since no vehicles are permitted to pass through the intersection when a walk signal is active, pedestrians don’t have to worry about vehicles trying to pass through the intersection at the same time. When the traffic light is green, no crosswalk has an active walk signal. To ensure your safety, never try to cross an intersection when the walk signal is not active and wait until traffic stopped in every direction before proceeding through a crosswalk.
If your a cyclist navigating the pedestrian scramble, you must dismount your bike and walk through the crosswalk with your bike. If you do not dismount your bike, you are considered a vehicle and must follow all vehicle traffic laws and stop when the walk signal is displayed.
If you’ve been injured in an accident in a crosswalk or pedestrian scrambler, please give Bart Durham Injury Law a call. You first consultation is always FREE!