My Ballard reports changes are coming to the intersection of 15th Ave & Leary Way.
These are vehicle-oriented improvements, mostly, but there are a few things that pedestrians will welcome. For example, the traffic signal heads will be replaced (presumably the walk/don’t walk signals will be replaced with graphical pedestrian signals that count down). Also, there will be new sidewalk ramps.
However, there’s another change that may not be universally welcome – the addition of pedestrian push buttons. Whereas the pedestrian signals currently change automatically, in the future you may have to push a button to get a walk signal. So, this means that if you don’t push the button before the light turns green for cars, you’ll have to cross when the pedestrian signal says don’t walk, or you’ll have to wait through the whole light cycle until the light turns green again. Work is expected to be complete on February 19.
Recently there have been pedestrian push buttons added to two intersections I frequent, but nothing seems to have changed. I think they are there for the benefit of the blind because they emit audible signals.