Here is this optimal pedestrian trip, as defined by drivers:
First walk a block. When you get to the light, even if there is no traffic in half a mile and the light is green in your direction, come to a sudden halt and press the crosswalk button, because the crosswalk light is off here by default. Wait a minute for the light to change red in your direction. (This gives cars some time to build up.)
Wait another minute for the light to change back to green, hurry quickly across the intersection, half waving at drivers now waiting to turn, so they know that you know that walking is kind of naughty. They have places they have to be! Waiting as many as five seconds is out of the question, for a driver. When back on the sidewalk, if there is one, resume walking at a normal pace.
In this stuttering manner of walking, stopping, and sprinting block by block, make your way to your destination, trying not to think about what the city would resemble if pedestrians’ time were as important as drivers’…
