Do Pedestrian Buttons Actually Work? The Truth Revealed!

On my many urban adventures, I often find myself face-to-face with the ultimate test of patience: crossing those bustling intersections. You know the drill—press the pedestrian button, wait, press again, wait some more, and then start wondering if the button actually does anything or if it’s just mocking your existence.

The idea for pedestrian buttons first made its debut in the 1980s, when someone at the Department of Transport had the bright idea to give pedestrians a little more “power” over traffic signals. By 1989, these buttons started appearing on street corners, offering walkers a chance to play “green light lottery” with the push of a button. Of course, as many of us have learned, the buttons often feel like nothing more than giving us the illusion of control, while the traffic light does whatever it wants. Still, despite their initial lack of magic, things have gotten a bit better over time. Who knew technology could evolve so slowly?

In places like New York, these buttons are often labeled as “placebo buttons,” and for a good reason. Back in the day, Manhattan decided it was time to go high-tech with computer-controlled traffic signals. The result? Many of those buttons were quietly deactivated over a decade ago, leaving unsuspecting pedestrians pressing them for what can only be described as a whole lot of nothing. It doesn’t matter if you press the button once or transform into a human woodpecker with a hundred presses—you’re just sending a call that won’t be answered any faster.

When I’m driving, I spot pedestrians mashing those crosswalk buttons like they’re trying to win a game show, and I can’t help but mutter under my breath, “Great, now they’re going to slow me down.” It’s the classic cat-and-mouse game of driver versus walker, where each side is convinced they have the right of way, and both are determined to make it through first. As the driver, I feel like I’m in a high-stakes race, hoping to beat the light before the pedestrian turns the tide in their favor. Meanwhile, the walker is probably thinking, “Let’s see who wins this round, buddy!” It’s a daily dance of subtle rivalry, where timing is everything, and patience is often in short supply.

Crosswalk systems are designed to be operational 24/7, taking your inputs like a dedicated customer service line that only gets back to you on their schedule. They might tweak sensitivity based on the time of day, giving priority to vehicular traffic during rush hour, but for the most part, pressing that button is a bit like calling an old friend who never answers—you’re doing all the talking, but you’re still waiting for a response.