Different intersections have different crosswalk signals

(MAY 27, 2022) Crossing a street in Portland is sometimes dangerous. In fact, 27 pedestrians died in traffic accidents in 2021. (According to Cambridge Learner's Dictionary, a pedestrian is "someone who is walking and not travelling in a vehicle.") So following the crosswalk signals is important. They help keep pedestrians safe. But how do they work?

Some intersections have no traffic lights for cars. There is only a crosswalk signal for pedestrians. So a pedestrian presses the button. The traffic lights change. Cars stop. The pedestrian crosses the street.

Other intersections have more cars. Those intersections have regular traffic lights. If traffic is busy, the lights may keep their regular routine. The time to walk doesn't change. The only thing that happens is the recorded voice tells pedestrians when to walk.

However, the green light is often very short at some intersections. The cars do not need much time, but pedestrians need more time to walk. So pedestrians press the button. They still wait for the lights to change. However, now they get more time to cross the road.

So pressing the button doesn't usually make things faster, but it does make things safer.