Didn't realize the crosswalk lights were broken
It was published online seven days ago and printed in Sunday's paper. It's about the light flashing crosswalk at on South Bayshore Drive, in front of The Fresh Market. I didn't realize it was broken and broken for so long, but now that they mention it, it's been a pleasure to not be driving down the street and be alarmed with a bunch of flashing lights without warning. It's startling and is more of a danger than maybe a stop light.
I called them "flashing, freaky lights" in 2008, when they were first installed.
There are other crosswalks along South Bayshore Drive where there are no blaring, flashing lights and I see drivers stop when people are in those crosswalks. The times they don't stop is usually when the person cannot be seen and is standing back behind a tree or bush in the median, so it's hardly a case of life and death since the person is nowhere near traffic in those instances.
Just yesterday morning a car and I stopped for pedestrians to cross. We saw them standing, waiting to cross and as we came up to the intersection, we made full stops. There is also a crosswalk I believe it's near City Hall on South Bayshore, and drivers always stop for people crossing there. It's the same near Mary Street, where there is a crosswalk.
There is one area near the turn at McFarlane and South Bayshore Drive. Now that is a dangerous one. That one cannot be seen as the turn blocks it, so as you are coming from McFarlane Road into the turn on South Bayshore, people could be crossing, but they aren't seen until the car is upon them. I'm thinking that crosswalk should be moved a bit so it's not in a dangerous area.
Has anyone had a bad incident where people did not stop? I mean, even with the flashing lights, people don't always stop, so my point is that drivers mostly do the right thing and stop with or without the flashing lights. People who don't stop without the light probably won't stop with the lights, since it's not a stop light and more of a warning or a suggestion.
posted by Tom Falco at 4:00 AM
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20 Comments:
I feel like i am putting my life at risk every time I cross a street in Miami on foot. A modern city is one that focuses on walkability and improving the pedestrian experience. While a handful of drivers in Miami will stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, most do not. I am not sure if drivers fail to yield for pedestrians because they are not aware that they are supposed to or they simply have the nasty "me first" Miami attitude. In any event, as someone who regularly crosses Bayshore on foot (with my infant daughter in a stroller) I can personally attest to the fact that the freaky flashing lights work -- they get more drivers to stop at crosswalks. It is absurd that a driver would be offended by these lights. Give me a break. The fact of the matter is that the lights get more drivers to stop, I wish they had them installed at every crosswalk and that the police department did a better job pulling over drivers that blow through crosswalks when pedestrians are clearly waiting to cross. .
Every human should brush aside a feeling of entitlement from every potential situation that might arise related to this story/blog. I.E., a person walking only has to stop walking, but a car, truck or bus must engage a series of numerous mechanical devices to stop their 2/3/4 ton vehicles. I've noticed dozens & dozens & dozens of individuals speed up their pace to get vehicles to stop.. One man literally starting slowly running, pushing his Son in front of him to get me to stop because this is the only sort of power they can conjure up. In a perfect world walkers & drivers would simply consider each other. People consider each other in Denver, why not here?
I so agree with the first comment.Coming from Scandinavia to Miami I am horrified by the lack of respect for pedestrians. The weather is beautiful most of the time, so walking - and cycling - should be a pleasure - not feel like your are putting your life at risk. Every driver is busy checking cell phones while blowing through crosswalks and making turns from side roads...show a little love people
The anonymous commenter at 7:36 AM highlights EXACTLY what is wrong with drivers in Miami. Drivers should be on the lookout for pedestrians crossing the crosswalk. Obviously pedestrians, including the pedestrian in the questionable anecdote the commenter described about a father running in front of the commenter's car with a stroller to get the car to stop (who would do that?), should not have to risk life and limb to cross the street. The issue here is defaults. The default is (and should be respected) that PEDESTRIANS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY, not drivers. If drivers were not blowing through speed limits or accelerating rapidly, they would not have a problem stopping for any pedestrian within their line of site. This isn't a sense of entitlement, its a component of a civilized, modern society.
The assumption anon 8:44 that modern societies are civilized is an opinion created by feelings of entitlements. Those signs read "STOP for pedestrians in crosswalk". I use the word IGNORANT IDIOT here lovingly respectably. What ignorant idiot would walk into oncoming traffic alone, with family, friends or pets? Most pedestrians, the vast majority STOP to look both ways before proceeding into oncoming traffic, cross walk or not. The vast majority know, for sure they do not just walk into traffic while looking down giving no body language or indication to oncoming drivers of their intention. Many drivers stop as people talk on their cell phones standing just outside the entrance to a cross walk. A pedestrian has a common sense obligation to stop, look and only then proceed when it is safe. According to one report 6,000 pedestrians died @ crosswalks in 2017 because each failed to cross safely WHILE walking into a crossing zone. I STOP, look and then proceed. 6,000 didn't and they're dead. Civilized civilizations is a two way sword for drivers & pedestrians alike. Go ahead, feel entitled and end up like a pan cake!
Looks like 927/736 has that "Me First" attitude that the original poster was referring to! ;) Too funny, they always come out of the woodwork.
Well it does appear that 927/736 are similar in that these people feel they should stop, look at on-coming traffic, contemplate reality, address self-preservation concerns and proceed safely. The vast majority of life forms do this consciously, unconsciously & automatically and the ones that don't come out of the woodwork & get turned into pan cakes. Personally I'd rather practice the self-preservation techniques described by 927/736.
Another bad place is the corner of Mary Street and Grand Avenue, where people don't stop when they are coming from Grand Avenue. The Stop sign cannot be seen and most people think they only have to stop for pedestrians.
The crosswalk on Bayshore by the curve is indeed a dangerous place. It's not just cars coming around the curve . I've watched cars southbound blow right on by with folks scrambling to get out of the way. Coconut Grove is not the nice place it used to be in many respects and the me first commuters don't give a rats about people in foot. It's ugly here in so many ways that after 51 years of living in the grove I'm leaving. I'm saddened by the butt fugly white boxes, the massive construction, the lack of real art and music, the inflated prices for dinners, drinks and the stuff the stores sell that are of no real use to anyone. It's time to " move to the country,blow up the tv ,try to find Jesus on your own". Bill Kunz
Yes we have had many cars ignore crosswalks with and without lights, including the one mentioned in the article, as this is our neighborhood. 90% of the cars on Bayshore are speeding and many are on their phones. I find the best, and sometimes the only way, to get drivers to respect the cross walk is to video them conspicuously with my phone.
While visiting my friend at the hospital who suffered two broken legs, hip and lower back injuries she commented "HONKY" ran over her at a crosswalk. "Honky" I echoed with surprise. She said "yes" that's the last thing I heard before he ran over me. She also commented "It was my fault I didn't look".
This is an untenable situation. The City should be doing everything in its power to make the streets safer for pedestrians? It is mind-blowing that law enforcement is not out there ticketing drivers who disrespect pedestrians' right of way. It is also baffling that the city does not do more to slow vehicular traffic in residential neighborhoods. What can be done? We need Ken Russell to step up and actually do something here.
All the individual has to do in every instance where a person is crossing any type and kind of roadway, thoroughfare, signal or no signal, intersection, crosswalk, wherever & whatever there's vehicular traffic, all that's required is to stop for just 2 seconds, look both ways, pay attention and do not proceed if a vehicle may hit you. Some people are commenting herein that in some instances both the driver & pedestrian cannot see each other due to a bush, pole or other obstacle, yet they proceed!? There no diff between a human driving or a human walking other than the weight & speed of the vehicle, i.e., both are equally indifferent, but only one will suffer. STOP FOR JUST 2 SECONDS AND LOOK TO SEE IF IT'S SAFE TO PROCEED!? Do some of you really feel your life or the life of your loved ones isn't worth 2 seconds of time?
Go to Shell lumber on 27th Avenue and buy 5 bags of tarmac and empty neatly on the street and drive over it about 10 times to make your own speed bump. Or just lay a 2"x4"x10' across the roadway. That will slow em down. But, do it about 4:00 AM and not in front of your abode so the police be in front of your home and see the tarmac on you vehicle tires. It's not logical to infer an officer is going to exit his vehicle in the hot sun and roadway to issue a ticket or go to court for several hrs. on his own time to effect a conviction. Face it people, this is what modern day Miami has become and this is why The Donald was elected.
Had an incident a few years ago on Bayshore and Mary Street while crossing the northbound side of Bayshore. One of the cars that was approaching the crosswalk stopped for me, but a city of Miami cop in the other lane did not and just kept going. The driver of the other car and myself both put up our hands in protest, but either the copy was daydreaming or simply did not care.
It’s a STATE LAW people. Pedestrians have the right of way. It works in other parts of the state. Is Coconut Grove so self-absorbed that we cannot be law-abiding citizens? I’ve been IN the crosswalk and been nearly run down...Main Highway...Grand Avenue...Mary Street...Bayshore.
"It's a STATE LAW people". You don't say what the state law is. The signage reads "STOP" for people in THE CROSSWALK. The signage "LAW" does not read STOP for people approaching a crosswalk. Who can't stop for 2 seconds to take a look to see if you or your loved ones are going to be injured or killed? Who then will suffer? It appears about 30% of people @ crosswalks are stopped standing staring @ their cell phones. About 30% stop and look for oncoming traffic. Of the 40% remaining about 25% purposefully look at the ground or their feet before and while they're crossing, BUT if you watch their eyes, as I have, they never-the-less use peripheral vision ONLY to try and stare down drivers, even when they're in no danger of being hit by a HONKY. These people are the "me 1st" characters looking for drivers who also are "me 1st" characters. It's all very scientific self-centered human nature for both pedestrians and drivers alike. It's just a stupid game where some folks get hurt or killed by playing their hand out.
Did you read where I said I’ve been IN the crosswalk conscious of my surroundings and still nearly hit NUMEROUS time by speeding drivers who disregard several laws. This was at various locations in the GROVE. Other areas of the state respect the law and even DO stop to allow Pedestrians to cross. Trying to cross the street is NOT a game.
Sorry anon 10:34. I went back to read and you did emphasize you were in the crosswalk. And I've literally used the WRITTEN law as I got older rather than engage with road/pedestrian road rage and possibly lose some teeth. I've advised my wife and children, the youngest being 46, "You have no rights on Miami's roadways". I beg them, especially while bicycling "STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, NO MATTER WHAT AND THEN PROCEED". So, since we can't shoot em and eat em I just bite the bullet and make every effort to stay away from out in front of them. Good Luck and Merry X-mas.
the police should be there enforcing the traffic laws at these crosswalks. Tigertail is another terrible area where cars do not obey yielding to pedestrians.
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