This is a problem everywhere in New Haven, where drivers routinely do not respect the right of way of pedestrians in crosswalks. It's always a contest between the driver and the pedestrian to see who will go first and claim the right of way, and drivers often seem annoyed to see pedestrians. A 4-way pedestrian-only crossing signal can reduce the number of such problems, and I would like to see more of them, for example at Temple & Trumbull Streets (I complained about that before, but nothing happened) and at Prospect & Hillside (where I recently got stuck in the middle of Prospect Street because NO driver turning right from Hillside woud let me cross, and a rude driver on Prospect then started honking.). But the Whitney & Humphrey intersection already has such a pedestrian signal, so something more is needed. Maybe large conspiciuous signs for drivers and large conspicuous painted crosswalks, or even painted intersections, would help.

Also, many pedestrians will cross against the pedestrian signal, even though the traffic signal may be red for the direction which they are crossing against, and these cars that are turning right DO have the right of way.

@ guest: blaming pedestrians gets us no where.

and i completely agree with this post. i often walk through this intersection on my way to the zipcar spots. i wait patiently for the walk signal, as many others do, only to be nearly missed by people turning right, even though the walk signal is illuminated. many drivers do not even stop, they just roll through despite a) the red lights in all directions and b) the presence of pedestrians.

actually, juli...'guest' has a valid point and should be allowed to express it without being dismissed by your opinion.

i believe too many times in new haven a pedestrian is not aware of the laws in this state and incorrectly assumes that by walking within the realm of a crosswalk he/she has automatically stopped the laws of physics OR that they have the right of way by default. which i'm sure you know, isn't true. just for everyone's pleasure i've taken the time to copy down the law for pedestrians faced with a 'walk'/'don't walk' signal, enjoy:

Crosswalks Controlled by "Walk" and "Don't Walk" Signals. While at a crosswalk controlled by a "walk" and "don't walk" sign, pedestrians have the right of way over all vehicles, including turning vehicles, as long as they comply with the signal. A pedestrian may begin to cross a street only when there is a "walk" signal. A pedestrian may not begin to cross the street if the "don't walk" signal is either blinking or solid. If a pedestrian begins to cross the street when the signal reads "walk" but the signal changes to "don't walk" while he is still crossing the street, he must continue to cross the street until he reaches the other side or until he reaches a "safety island" which could be a raised sidewalk dividing traffic lanes (CGS § 14-299 (b)(5)).

@angela thanks for cutting and pasting the law for convenience! but i promise you that i have a full handle on that one already. i stated that motorists disregard pedestrians, myself included, DURING the walk signal at the intersection of whitney and humphrey (in addition to many others, obviously). this happens regularly enough for me to have sensed a trend, as i travel to this intersection by foot often.

i was dismissive of the knee-jerk reaction to blame pedestrians. just because we are currently living in a car-centric era doesn't mean that it should be at the expense of anyone's safety.

yes, there are times where pedestrians are careless. i venture to say that motorists are careless FAR more, however, dialogue on a seeclickfix post back and forth over who is wrong more often makes no sense.

i was merely stating my support for making intersections safer for the more vulnerable users. we should not as a society accept that at every intersection a pedestrian must put their life in danger to pass through it merely because they are not protected by a steel cage just because another person is in a rush and they are.

@juli, i'm quite certain you have a full handle on that one. i'm quite certain you have a handle on a lot of things. however, posting the law wasn't for you, it was for those who may not know the law. intersections are safe if everyone were to a) follow the law and b) watch what they're doing.

sadly, many people in this world are unaware and you can't make an intersection safer against when you're up against that.

@ juli - i wasnt "blaming pedestrians" - just pointing out that many people dont know the law or are just not paying attention to where they are going. If safety is the main concern then everyone needs to be aware of their surroundings whether they are in a car, on a bike or a pedestrian.

This issue was recategorized from Other to Traffic/Road Safety.

This issue was recategorized from Traffic/Road Safety to Signs / Bus Shelters / Pavement Markings.

@cityofnewhaven how exactly does recategorizing this stop the stream of drivers blowing through the walk signal?

almost every time i go to use a zipcar from the peabody lot, a car almost takes me out as i am legally crossing.

This intersection would benefit from a bump out. The bike lane puts bicycle riders in direct conflict with cars using the bike lane as a right turn lane. Drivers seem to interpret the "walk" signal as a cue to attempt to run over pedestrians.

The Sign Division will inspect to determine if a sign should be installed at this location. Thank you for the post.

We are trying to delineate issues that are current and need the city's attention to resolve and as a result a number of historical issues are being closed. If your issue persists and needs to be addressed by the city please open as a new See Click Fix issue. Thank you.