Yes, Pedestrians. Cross Any Which Way You'd Like To
Friday, May 14, 2010 - 02:09 PM
(Washington, DC - David Schultz, WAMU News) - Transportation pros in Washington think about 27,000 people and 26,000 cars use 7th and H Streets in Northwest D.C. every day. Getting them to avoid each other safely is a challenge, and there's no sign that city officials are giving up.
This week, they changed traffic patterns at 7th and H Streets to allow pedestrians to cross any way they like at regular intervals. The approach is called the pedestrian scramble or "Barnes Dance," after traffic engineer Henry Barnes, who first set up the pattern in Kansas City. These days, it's being used from London to Tokyo. Hear how DC pedestrians are taking to their new freedom to jaywalk.