On March 8, Tempe began testing what’s called an all-pedestrian crosswalk.
The pilot project at Mill Avenue and Fifth Street does allow cars to go through. But when it’s pedestrians’ turn, traffic stops entirely to allow them to safely cross in any direction — even diagonally.
The diagonal route was a time-saver for Garrett and Em Baker, who went directly from the southeast to the northwest corner.
“This is the first time. I saw the signs and I was like, ‘Yeah, all right, cool,’” Garrett said.
The couple said they like the added convenience for pedestrians — although this wasn’t their first time crossing an intersection diagonally.
“I was gonna say, I don’t know if I’ve done it legally, but I know I’ve done it before,” Garrett said.
“Probably,” Em agreed.
The pilot will run for four weeks.
