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Next time you’re walking on Capitol Hill, you may notice something different about the intersections of Broadway and both Denny and John Street – changes to signal timing. We tweaked the signal timing at these two intersections to help improve safety for pedestrians.

At Broadway and Denny, we installed an All-Walk phase for pedestrians. That means during this phase, pedestrians and bikes can cross in any marked crosswalk while all other traffic is stopped. Traffic is not allowed to turn during the red light, helping to separate pedestrian and vehicle traffic, and reducing potential conflicts between pedestrians and cars.

SDOT also installed what’s called leading pedestrian intervals (LPI) for crossings at Broadway and John – that means pedestrians get a few seconds of walk time before traffic gets their green light. This allows people to start walking a little earlier to get into the crosswalk before traffic starts moving, making them more visible to turning drivers. Studies have shown that LPI’s have reduced pedestrian-vehicle collisions by up to 60%.

These changes are just a couple of the many ways that SDOT is working to improve safety on our streets. But it’s important to remember: always watch for traffic when crossing even when you have the walk light. Your safety is important to us!