What are they?
A pedestrian scramble, sometimes called a Barnes Dance, is a type of signal treatment at an intersection that stops all traffic and allows people to cross from all corners at the same time—including diagonally.
How do they work?
Pedestrian scrambles ensure that people crossing the street are able to do so without any vehicle movement through the intersection. An all-way red light for drivers, with no turns permitted, transforms the intersection into a secure pedestrian space for the duration of the light cycle. Effectively, they eliminate all potential conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles.
Where to find pedestrian scrambles in San Francisco
- Chinatown/Financial District: SFMTA has installed several pedestrian scrambles at busy intersections in this area, including Clay and Kearney, Stockton and Sacramento streets, and on Montgomery Street at Bush, California and Pine streets.
- The Tenderloin: SFMTA has converted eleven intersections in this dense neighborhood—where every street in on the Vision Zero High Injury Network—into pedestrian scrambles.