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Ground Transport

Chicago gives pedestrians a break in people versus cars scramble

Jon Hilkevitch

Photo Credit: Pedestrians in Chicago are getting a break as the city experiments in giving them a headstart and making cars wait awhile at busy intersections.  flickr.com / Kevin Dooley

Skift Take

Chicago is one of the most congested cities in the U.S., and giving pedestrians, including tourists, and bicyclists a reprieve from the traffic sounds like a worthwhile experiment.

People began walking diagonally through a busy downtown Chicago intersection Friday, part of an experiment to provide extra breathing room between vehicles and pedestrians. The changes center on a new pedestrian crossing pattern, dubbed the "pedestrian scramble," that was introduced at the intersection of State Street and Jackson Boulevard. The goals include giving pedestrians a head start crossing streets and therefore reducing conflicts between pedestrians and turning vehicles, officials said. The test involves stopping all vehicles -- heading east on Jackson and north and south on State -- for 35 seconds every third traffic light cycle to let pedestrians cross in all

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