If you ever pay attention to the pedestrians on Boulevard of the Allies, you may see them walking into oncoming traffic without looking, somehow miraculously making it across the street each time.
This is jaywalking, and you shouldn’t do this.
Jaywalking is illegal in almost every U.S. state and even here, in Pittsburgh.
According to PA Legislature, Title 75 states that “every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a crosswalk at an intersection or any marked crosswalk shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.” This means that unless someone is in a cross-walk, they don’t have the right-of-way.
Subsection C of the same title also states that “between adjacent intersections in urban districts at which traffic-control signals are in operation pedestrians shall not cross at any place except in a marked crosswalk.”
Meanwhile, from what I’ve seen, there are multitudes of people who cross in the middle of the road, rather than the crosswalk, and it makes me question their sanity a little bit.
There are also people who diagonally cross the road, going across two intersections at once. This is also prohibited by Title 75.
The rules do shift a bit if there are no vehicles incoming, however. In this case, pedestrians can still cross, even if their walk signal is still on stop. It’s recommended that they use caution while doing so.
Jaywalking of any kind should be heavily enforced and fined.
Not only is it a danger to oneself, it’s also a danger to others on the roadway.
According to Jacoby & Meyers Injury Lawyers, 20% of pedestrian crash fatalities in the United States are linked to jaywalking.
Some cities, like New York, seem to think that it’s OK to jaywalk.
In October 2024, New York City legalized jaywalking, according to the Associated Press. Why am I talking about jaywalking now? I want to make Point Park’s new students aware of it, especially since a lot of them are unfamiliar with Pittsburgh or the infamous “Pittsburgh left.”
I am also guilty of jaywalking, but I try to stay away from it lately.
Pedestrians aren’t the only ones to blame for jaywalking, however. Downtown Pittsburgh’s infrastructure also makes it difficult to be patient while waiting for a light to turn. Those who have waited for what feels like five minutes to cross Boulevard of the Allies would know.
For example, I have found there’s a chance about a quarter of buttons to activate crosswalk signals don’t work. That’s one out of four buttons, nearly equivalent to one button being broken on every block.
What about the confusing traffic lights? When they turn red, you still have to wait one minute to cross because there are still green turning arrows.
While I can’t speak for every city, Pittsburgh officials should fix the city’s infrastructure and then enforce the jaywalking laws. It’s better to be patient and stay safe than to be in a hurry and get injured on the way.
