An email attachment from a traffic engineer colleague in Phoenix, AZ today included this clever creation of a special St. Patrick's Day pedestrian signal. Watching the little man reel and jig his way through the crossing signal was pretty cute. Then came the surprise: it's a Toyota commercial. As frustrating and contradictory as I often find the automobile industry to be, I am grateful when there is the occasional nod to the rest of us out here who are on foot, bike and transit. Anyone who was out in the Chicago area this weekend (South Side Parade, anyone?) couldn't help but notice the proliferation of inebriated revelers stumbling about, making folks even more vulnerable to crashes than usual. In my opinion, any help we can get, including from car makers, to draw attention to pedestrian safety is appreciated.
