Getting the walking man icon does more than say it’s safe to cross the street

Q. Honk: My husband and I were discussing timed stoplights on Pacific Coast Highway, especially in Seal Beach, and wondering why Caltrans doesn't provide, every time you can cross the street, a lighted walking-man signal for pedestrians? Why do we have to push the button? It would be so much easier for everyone if every green light was for cars as well as for walkers, instead of having to run up to an intersection to try and achieve a walk sign. When the red hand comes up, we would know it's too late to begin the crossing.

– Peggy Senneff, Seal Beach

A. The walking man is important, yes, but for a reason that might not meet the eye.

Besides giving pedestrians the thumps-up to cross, it's a carrot to persuade walkers to press the button on the traffic-light pole.

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"Pushing the buttons lets the signal know someone wants to cross," said Nathan Abler, a Caltrans spokesman in Orange County. "The button will always trigger the signal to change."

A pressed button tells the intersection software to stall lights from changing so a walker has more time to cross, he said. Or it gets the software to speed up the light cycle so a pedestrian doesn't have to wait as long to see the walking man and begin their journey across the street.

Q. My riding group rides in the bike lanes within the Great Park. Occasionally on the weekends, vehicles are parked in the bike lane along Marine Way, on the north side, the side closest to the parking lot. That forces us to leave the safety of the bike lane and ride more into the street. I complained to the Irvine Police Department, but it will not enforce the "No Stopping at Anytime" signs on Marine Way. I spoke to a supervisor in the Traffic Enforcement Unit about this and was told that parking is allowed on the weekends.This makes no sense, especially because there is ample parking within the park. People just don't want to walk from adjacent lots. I can foresee a liability issue here.

– Joseph Garcia, Yorba Linda

A. At first blush, it does seem odd.

But the city does allow parking there at times, no matter what the signs say.

"We have a parking variance along the north side of Marine Way to assist with the large number of tournaments (and) games that occur within the Great Park area," Sgt. Karie Davis told Honk in an email. "This helps alleviate the parking lots, which are inundated with guests. This has been occurring for several years now."

Jessica Moore, a traffic program supervisor for the city, provided more info.

The city's Neighborhood Traffic Division, with traffic engineers and other city staffers, and the Police Department consider variances, when exceptions are made to certain laws.

With Marine Way's variance, requests can be made for specific times and, if granted, parking on the street is permitted when the nearby parking-lot stalls are full.

"When a variance is approved, there are no modifications to the existing signage," Moore said in an email. "The event director or coordinator who has requested the variance will be the one to communicate to event attendees that temporary on-street parking has been approved.

"Variances will not be approved for narrow roadways, roadways with high instances of collisions, or where other sight and safety concerns exist," she said.

Moore added that city officials are reviewing the Marine Way variance: "There will likely be some future changes to what we allow and when."

To ask Honk questions, reach him at [email protected]. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk

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