There also needs to be protections for drivers in this ordinance from the person who walks out in traffic with a vehicle moving at 35 mph only 10 feet from the crosswalk and then wants to sue for their injuries. Also it needs to be confined to areas where there are marked crosswalks. If there is a crackdown on drivers then there should also be a corresponding crack down on pedestrians who choose to cross where they feel like it.

this is a bad idea, they now cross when ever they feel like it so that the driver has to always be ready to snop on a dime….why do we have walk and don’t walk signs? they never pay attention…also there should be a crack down on beggers in the middle of the street dodging cars for cash…i have seen one almost get hit…shouldn’t they have begger permits? and lets crack down on the food carts around chicago that do not have license’s….and no sanatrairy conditions…i could go on and on….

Read common sense rules above. As long as there is an ordinance violation for pedestrians, especially downtown at luchtime, crossing against the lights and interfering with vehicular traffic. They should receive an ordinace violation complaint as well.

Something needs to be done about idiots who turn on red but don’t look to their right to see if someone is there. There have been many of times on 18th and State that I would have been it if I didn’t check to see if the driver was looking at me.
This morning was the latest.

Hey everyone. Instead of posting on here, why don’t we all gather our e-mail addresses, type up a letter and mail it to Mr. Emmanuel. I doubt he’s going to read this. I love what he’s doing for the city but this is stupid.

I can understand that we can’t stop Ms. Washington and all 4 of her kids from randomly crossing the street because she’s too busy pushing a stroller and talking on her cell phone. That’s a given, but I think you guys are right and something needs to be done.

Plus the pedestrians in downtown are just horrible. They cross the street in long lines so traffic gets backed up all up and down LaSalle.

Rahm is focusing on the downtown pedestrians right now. Maybe he’s working on Chicago’s westside next. Maybe while he’s down there he can crack down on the littering, too. It’s a shame to see so much garbage all up and down Kedzie near bus stops and vacated lots.

You’re right but ouch. Let’s not go back to 1865 with the ignorant comments. We’re in 2011 now.

Oh, last thing. Pedestrians have always had the right of way, as did cars on the left side, why can’t people just be smarter and more courteous about traffic in general? Instead of being road hogs and overly possessive about the lane you’re in, allow someone to get in front of you of you see they’ve been sitting there waiting and waiting. Not only will you make their day better, you’ll be happy when someone else does it for you. It’s a cause and effect.

OR we can just ask Jesse White to revoke the driving rights of people who shouldn’t even be driving in the first place. This will reduce traffic by at least half. Now, don’t quote me on that because I’m no statistics major, but I’m sure it would be a tremendous amount. I doubt he’s going to listen, though, because the more drivers on the road, the more money the state is getting (sad, but true), but also the higher the risk of DUI’s, accidents (you have to pay fee’s for those, too), and death. (Again, no statistics major).

I scored a perfect score on the written driver’s test and had my car totalled by Mr. Meraz who couldn’t speak English to save his life. He had an expired license and only liability coverage through some busted down insurance company from a hole in the wall place in Little Village next to Discount Mall. Why is the state allowing this to happen? Money. He paid for the gas, he paid for his stickers, he even bought the 1994 POS Conversion van from a joint in the city (taxes). And the state can’t budget? This is sickening.

The only people that will be happy with this one are the ambulance-chasing lawyers and their clients nitwits who run between cars or walk in the middle of the street with traffic flying by both ways–don’t stop you get a ticket, stop and you get rear-ended. How about pedestrians having some common sense.

The best way to make the streets safer for pedestrians is to enforce the “no cell phone use while driving rule.”

A stupid law because the law already says that pedestrians in crosswalks have the right of way.