At many standalone pedestrian crossings in Hong Kong, the signal only turns green after someone presses the push button. Yet a surprising number of pedestrians, both locals and visitors, don''t realise this. The result: people waiting indefinitely for a light that will never change, sometimes choosing to cross against a red signal instead.

In this article, Julian examines this overlooked risk and proposes a simple, low-cost fix, a prompt sign mounted directly above the pedestrian signal along with a suggested study to measure its effectiveness.

Read the full PDF attached for the details and proposed sign designs.