How do signals for pedestrians work?
When a pedestrian pushes the button on the signal, a message is sent from the button to the computer that controls the traffic signal (the “controller”). The controller will see this request for a Walk light, and at the appropriate time, a Walk light will be provided. The button is like a light switch—after you have pushed it once, it is “on” and stays on until the Walk light appears. The standard time the Walk light is displayed is 5 seconds. When the Walk light comes up, you should begin to cross. Once the initial “Walk” time has passed, the “Flashing Don’t Walk” will appear—the flashing orange hand. This means that if you have not started to cross the road yet, you should not step off the curb. HOWEVER, if you are already in the process of crossing the road, the average pedestrian WILL have enough time to cross the entire road safely. Douglas County Flashing Don’t Walk time is based on the width of each particular roadway and the average walking speed of a pedestrian. Once the Flash
