Making a bad situation worse

In an apparent attempt to kill all of the pedestrians and cyclists who use the Wiouwash Trail where it crosses Congress Avenue (just kidding), the city has installed user-activated flashing lights at the intersection.

Why is this a bad idea?

The main reason is that it gives those on foot or on wheel the false impression that drivers will pay more attention to the pedestrian cross walks than they do when the lights are not flashing when in fact the lights have no apparent effect.

I tested this twice yesterday.

On my first test, drivers heading eastbound did not slow down at all. One driver in a pickup truck swerved around me as I crossed the street and cursed me as he went by at a speed well above the posted limited.

On my second test, a driver heading west slowed down but only after I waved my arm to point out the flashing light overhead.

Another problem with the installation is that lights are on the wrong side of Arboretum/Summit. In other words trail users heading southbound have to cross over to the east side of Arboretum to activate the light while northbound users have to cross to the west side of Summit. (Southbound users following normal right-of-way rules would be on the west side of the street.)

Once again, the notion that the city cares about the safety of trail users is cast in serious doubt.