Crosswalks in North America

Three pedestrian traffic signals in New York City, in three different signal phases:

• The signal at left displays a "steady upraised hand" signal, which indicates "don't walk".
• The signal at center displays a "steady walking person" signal, which indicates "walk".
• The signal at right displays a "flashing upraised hand" signal, which indicates that "don't walk" is imminent. This is accompanied by a countdown timer as per the 2009 MUTCD.

At crossings controlled by signals, generally the poles at both ends of the crosswalk also have the pedestrian signal heads. For many years these bore white walk and Portland Orange dont walk legends,^[9] the latter without an apostrophe so that it fits easily on the sign.^[10] These colors were selected to provide adequate conspicuity and contrast against the backdrop of red, yellow, and green traffic lights.^[11]

Pictograms of an "upraised hand" (symbolizing dont walk) and a "walking person" (symbolizing walk) were made optional in the 1971 version of the MUTCD;^[12] the 2000 MUTCD no longer allowed provided an option for word legends,^[9] and the Federal Highway Administration officially confirmed^[12] that the pictograms are required in the 2009 edition of the MUTCD.^[13]

Modern pedestrian signals can be incandescent, neon, fiber-optic, or LED, with the latter three displays typically using less energy.^[14]

Regardless of whether pictograms or words are used, the MUTCD defines a steady "upraised hand" or don't walk signal as an indication that a pedestrian cannot enter the street in that signal's direction, while a steady "walking person" or walk indicates that pedestrians can start crossing the street toward that signal.^[13] The upraised hand or don't walk signals begin to flash during the pedestrian clearance interval when the transition to the "don't walk" phase of the signal is imminent.^[13] This normally occurs several seconds before the light turns yellow, usually going solid orange when the traffic light turns yellow or red; however, the display can be turned into a steady hand or "don't walk" sign while the vehicular light is yellow, or while the vehicular signal is still displaying a green light.^[15] In intersections with "leading pedestrian intervals", the upraised hand or "don't walk" sign will continue flashing as the vehicular lights turn red and the other crossing(s) in the intersection display a walking person or "walk" sign. The vehicular traffic is then stopped in all directions for a short period of time before cross traffic is allowed to proceed.^[16] The 2009 MUTCD states that the flashing walking person or "walk" signals do not have meaning.^[13] The "flashing walk" indication was formerly used to delineate "watch out for turning vehicles"^[17] and is still in use in Washington, D.C.;^[18] however, as of the 2003 MUTCD, this was replaced by an optional "animated eyes" indication within the pedestrian signal display,^[19][20] which was placed in the MUTCD following a study that recommended the usage of the "animated eyes" signal.^[21]

A gridded "egg-crate visor" (U.S. patent 3,863,251) is customarily placed in front of the lights to shield them from the sun and increase their visibility, but such visors can also be vulnerable to snow or ice accumulation on the screens, which in turn could block the pedestrian display.^[14] Pedestrian signals can also use a triangular-prism-shaped "cutaway visor" or "cap visor" (so named because the pitch of the visor, is shaped like a baseball cap), which mainly covers the top of the signal and the tops of the left and right sides; or a more rectangular-shaped "tunnel visor", which fully covers the left, right, and top sides of the pedestrian display.^[22][23]

In some cities in the US, other methods of pedestrian detection are being or have been tested, including infrared and microwave technology, as well as weight sensors built in at curbside.^[24] A 2000 study of these detectors in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Rochester found that the infrared and microwave technologies both helped reduce conflicts between pedestrians and turning vehicles, as well as pedestrians starting during the "don't walk" phase.^{[25][26]: 38–39} Subsequent studies found that the efficacy of these sensors varied based on pedestrian traffic at the location where they were installed.^{[26]: 39–40}

On fully actuated signals, or semi-actuated traffic signals, pressing the button to cross a smaller side street will cause an "instant walk signal". In most states, drivers only have to wait until the pedestrian has finished crossing the half of the crosswalk that the driver is driving on, after which the driver may proceed.^{[citation needed]} However, in some states (such as Utah^[27]), if the driver is in a school zone with the lights flashing, the driver must wait until the entire crosswalk is clear before he may proceed.^{[citation needed]}

Massachusetts allows an unusual indication variation for pedestrian movement. At signalized intersections without separate pedestrian signal heads, the traffic signals may be programmed to turn red in all directions, followed by a steady display of yellow lights simultaneously with the red indications. During this red-plus-yellow indication, the intersection is closed to vehicular traffic and pedestrians are given an "exclusive pedestrian interval", or a pedestrian scramble phase, in which they can cross any leg of the intersection, usually in whatever direction they choose.^[28] This replaces the extra pedestrian signal, but is in violation of the 2009 MUTCD.^[13] This practice is obsolescent but it remains in the Commonwealth's driver's manual.^[28]

Jaywalking is a term which refers to the act of crossing the road other than at a crosswalk or against the crosswalk signal. Jaywalking might be understood as walking against a pedestrian walk signal; crossing a street where there is no crosswalk (midblock crossing); crossing a street outside of a marked crosswalk where one is present; and walking on a street along with the traffic flow (ignoring designated pedestrian pathways).^[29]

Jaywalking is an offence in many cities, U.S. states and Canadian provinces, although prohibitions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.^[30][31] Nonetheless, jaywalking remains the cultural norm in some cities such as New York and Toronto.^{[32]: 216, 222, 224 [30]} 'Jaywalking' is recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary from 1917. According to historian and alternative transportation advocate Peter D. Norton, the word was promoted by pro-automobile interests in the 1920s.^[33] Jaywalking laws in the United States have been criticized due to racial bias in enforcement.^[34]