Credit where credit is due. The new pedestrian crosswalks that we’ve seen popping up around Green Bay are just excellent. The locations are smart. The cosmetics look terrific. And the lights are hard to miss. This is a big win for pedestrian safety in the area, and local leaders should be commended.

Unfortunately, drivers still don’t understand how they work.

I use the crosswalks about three times a day, and the drivers here in Green Bay will only stop about half the time. There are a couple who are unsure and slowly roll through them. Others will stop and the driver behind them will actually honk and chide them for doing the right thing.

Then there are those who don’t stop and just breeze right pass them. Those are the ones you have to keep an eye out for.

More education is needed. And if education doesn’t do it, then citations will need to be written.

It’s like I’ve written about Ashwaubenon a few times, around their retail hub, which continues to be ultra dangerous all along Oneida, especially through the mall (story HERE). The village still hasn’t taken action there.

Many drivers genuinely have no idea how pedestrian safety lights work. And others don’t even look for them at all. You don’t know how many blind right on red turns, I’ve seen with the white pedestrian walk light on. It happens every other day.

And then you’ll always have your troublemakers. Those who are happy to catwalk their motorcycles through a red light around their buddies, and almost hit people already in the crosswalk.

These pedestrian crosswalks are a win. Now we just need our drivers to respect them, and we can have a really excellent pedestrian situation moving into the summer in Green Bay.