Flashing-light crosswalks unsafe

To the Editor,

I have railed about this before to no avail. Crossing the street at the crosswalks with flashing lights at the intersections of Harvard and Chester roads, and elsewhere in Swarthmore, is akin to a suicide mission. Where in this universe does a flashing yellow light connote “stop” and not merely “slow down”? 

It’s not rocket science. Since they first started to drive, all drivers have been conditioned to stop when they see a red light and slow down when they see a yellow light. These Swarthmore crosswalks display a flashing yellow light — and what is a driver supposed to do? They are supposed to stop (if there is a pedestrian crossing). Many, however, do not even slow down. 

Swarthmore officials whom I have asked about this tell me that Chester Road is a state road and therefore out of their jurisdiction. But surely, if they chose to, these officials could intervene with PennDot on behalf of us pedestrians. Let’s hope it does not take a walker fatality for the authorities to take action. I fear it might.

Ken Derow
Swarthmore