Guide for street/path crossings

Walking is an important mode of transportation. Safety at crosswalks can be increased when crosswalk users and drivers understand their responsibilities.

What is a crosswalk?

  • A marked crosswalk is any place designated by signs or road striping for crossing a roadway.
  • An unmarked crosswalk exists where there are no signs or stripes on the roadway designating it, but where a sidewalk exists. It is the area extending out from the sidewalk across the roadway.
  • Either type of crosswalk may exist at an intersection or mid-block.

Who may use a crosswalk?

  • Pedestrians
  • Persons in wheelchairs or disability scooters
  • Bicycles
  • Electric scooters
  • Segways
  • Personal delivery vehicles

 

Driver responsibilities

  • Drivers must yield or stop to avoid a collision in all circumstances.
  • Drivers must yield or stop for a person or device in a crosswalk and cannot pass another vehicle that has stopped at the crosswalk.
    • NOTE: A person is in a crosswalk when they have left the curb and are in the gutter/pan or have entered the roadway.
  • Drivers turning at a traffic sign or signal must yield to people or devices legally in a crosswalk over which the driver intends to travel.
  • Drivers must yield to people or devices on a sidewalk before crossing the sidewalk.
  • Drivers have those same responsibilities at crosswalks for shared use paths.

Crosswalk user responsibilities

  • A person should avoid entering a crosswalk if a vehicle is so close that it will be difficult for the driver to yield.
  • When crossing at an intersection with a traffic signal:
    • Only cross when the “walk” signal is on.
    • Continue crossing to the sidewalk or refuge island if the signal switches to “don’t walk.”
    • Do not begin crossing on a “don’t walk” signal.
    • Only cross when facing a green light if there is no “walk / don’t walk” signal.
  • Crosswalk users crossing the street from a shared path follow the same rules as a crossing at any other crosswalk at an intersection.
  • Bicyclists using a shared use path with signs or signals must obey any signs or signals before crossing a sidewalk or entering the street if there is no sidewalk. Then a bicyclist is to use the crosswalk the same way they would use any other crosswalk.
  • If crossing at a location other than a crosswalk, a person must yield to motor vehicles.

Downloadable ​poster ​on crosswalk rules.

Related information: