Diagonal crosswalks are making a comeback in Los Angeles, but in nearby Pasadena, crosswalks have helped regulate traffic in the pedestrian-friendly city for years.
In the popular shopping and dining destination of Old Town Pasadena, both locals and visitors can cross two intersections using diagonal crosswalks: Colorado Boulevard and De Lacey Avenue, and Colorado Boulevard and Raymond Avenue.
Although there are many cars driving up and down the streets, many people walk and bike along the streets of Old Town.
"I park my car in a parking structure and I walk around all day to browse and shop," said Liz Trawick, 20, who grew up in San Marino, not too far from Pasadena. "Driving around is a hassle because there's no street parking."
Pasadena city officials said the intersection of Colorado Boulevard and De Lacey Avenue has the right combination pedestrian traffic and vehicle congestion needed for a diagonal crosswalk.
Colorado and De Lacey: In-depth
Click here to view photo slideshow or click the picture below.
The intersection of Colorado and De Lacey is a busy one. Stores and restaurants such as Tiffany's, Crate & Barrel, 21 Choices and Kabuki invite shoppers and diners to come indoors. Pedestrians stand at the street corners, constantly ready to cross.
Click here to view photo slideshow or click the picture below.
The intersection of Colorado and De Lacey is a busy one. Stores and restaurants such as Tiffany's, Crate & Barrel, 21 Choices and Kabuki invite shoppers and diners to come indoors. Pedestrians stand at the street corners, constantly ready to cross.
Pasadena transportation officials said if the diagonal intersection were not there, cars that try to make right turns would not have an opportunity to safely turn during their right of way.
This is especially true for cars on De Lacey that try to cross Coloardo, said Bahman Janka, transportation administrator for the Pasadena Department of Transportation. Because De Lacey is a one-lane street, cars that want to make left or right turns would have to wait for the crowds of pedestrians to cross. And while they are waiting, more cars could line up behind them.
"It only takes one car in front of the queue and they have to pause and wait for pedestrians," Janka said. "It might be 10 to 15 cars, but just that one car in the front makes them wait."
The diagonal crosswalks also help make Old Town Pasadena more pedestrian friendly."If pedestrians wanted to go southeast to northwest, they don't have to cross one leg and wait another cycle to cross the other leg," Janka said. "You are facilitating pedestrian movements."
Still, Pasadena transportation officials know that the diagonal crosswalks cannot be used in every intersection.
"Yes we want to encourage pedestrians and facilitate movement, but in some places when you do this you'll unduly burden the vehicular movement," Janka said.
Janka said in intersections with a lot of vehicular traffic, stopping traffic for 30 to 40 seconds would cause too much vehicular backup on the streets, which would undermine the crosswalk's purpose of speeding up movements for pedestrians and motorists.
"There needs to be a balance," he added.
Trawick said she had noticed the diagonal crosswalks and thought they were very convenient.
"It saves me a lot of time when I want to cross the street," she said. "And since so many people want to cross, it's good that the city gives them plenty of time to move through the intersection."
Two intersections near USC also installed diagonal crosswalks. To learn more about how students are using the new crosswalks, click HERE.
To see pictures of the crosswalk at Colorado Boulevard and De Lacey Avenue, click HERE.
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