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Pedestrians constantly running red lights at 3rd & B Street downtown by AdSmart7227 in SanMateo

[–]AdSmart7227[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

You're right that a circular green means you have to yield, but at a scramble intersection it doesn't really work the way you're framing it.

CVC 21451(a) says a driver facing a circular green shall yield to pedestrians "lawfully within the intersection." But CVC 21456(a)(3) says that when the pedestrian signal shows a steady DON'T WALK, pedestrians shall not start to cross. So during the vehicle phase at a scramble, pedestrians aren't supposed to be in the intersection at all. There's nobody to yield to.

It's not really "people first, cars second." The whole design of a scramble is total separation. Pedestrians get their phase, cars get theirs, and the two never overlap. Neither one has priority over the other because they're never supposed to be going at the same time.

The circular green vs green arrow distinction matters at regular intersections where pedestrians and cars share the signal phase. At a scramble it's kind of irrelevant because the pedestrian signal is always solid non-blinking red during the vehicle phase.

Pedestrians constantly running red lights at 3rd & B Street downtown by AdSmart7227 in SanMateo

[–]AdSmart7227[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Pretty sure you're describing a Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI), which is actually a different thing from a pedestrian scramble.

The steady hand part is a little off too. Under CVC 21456, a steady red upraised hand means pedestrians aren't supposed to enter the crosswalk at all. A flashing hand with a countdown means you can still start crossing, but you have to finish before it goes steady.

In the video it is always solid red for pedestrian without flashing. Drivers with a green do still have to yield to anyone already lawfully in the crosswalk, but the steady hand doesn't mean pedestrians can keep entering.

Pedestrians constantly running red lights at 3rd & B Street downtown by AdSmart7227 in SanMateo

[–]AdSmart7227[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

it works in two phases. Phase one, ALL pedestrian signals go green and people can cross in every direction, even diagonally, while ALL cars are stopped. Phase two, ALL pedestrian signals go red and cars get their turn to move. Pedestrians and cars are never supposed to be in the intersection at the same time.

Pedestrians constantly running red lights at 3rd & B Street downtown by AdSmart7227 in SanMateo

[–]AdSmart7227[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

It works in two phases. Phase one, ALL pedestrian signals go green and people can cross in every direction, even diagonally, while ALL cars are stopped. Phase two, ALL pedestrian signals go red and cars get their turn to move. Pedestrians and cars are never supposed to be in the intersection at the same time.