LADOT Transitions to Automatic Walk Signal Cycles

This past week, as part of the effort to combat the spread of COVID-19, LADOT deactivated pedestrian push buttons in downtown Los Angeles. Affected intersections now feature automatic “Walk” cycles that operate without the need for pedestrians to press crosswalk buttons, a feature that will be expanded to intersections in Hollywood, Westlake, and MacArthur Park by the end of this week, and which LADOT will explore as an option for additional areas in the coming weeks. Currently, modifications of this type must be performed individually by LADOT engineers. Because of this, areas with high volumes of pedestrian activity have been prioritized for the conversion to automatic, non-button pedestrian signals so that LADOT may examine impacts and assess other areas in the city that may benefit from this feature.