Question:  I'm driving on San Carlos Avenue toward El Camino (toward the RR station) and want to make a right turn onto Laurel Street. I'm stopped for a red light and the crossing signal changes from the little silver pedestrian to the red hand indicating that pedestrians should not start to cross the street. I am just about to start a right turn when all of a sudden a pedestrian appears next to me and presses the traffic button. I'm not expecting the pedestrian to try to cross the street against the red hand crossing signal BUT as soon as he hits the button the crossing signal INSTANTLY changes back from the red hand to the little silver pedestrian and he dashes into the crosswalk in front of me. Thank God, I hadn't started to turn yet or I'd have hit him for sure.

I've observed this twice. What's going on here?

Answer:  We think the driver was waiting on a green light, and the pedestrian movement he was waiting for is the one labeled as Crosswalk B in the picture below.  We were able to replicate the situation he described.  We pushed the pedestrian push button and got a Walk display when the green light for San Carlos Avenue started.  We pushed the button again, and the signal changed from Walk to Flashing-Don’t-Walk (FDW), immediately back to “Walk” again, and then FDW again, followed by solid red. This is not a signal malfunction.  It rarely happens so most drivers are probably not aware it can occur, but it is a normal operation. 

The driver should be aware that the Crosswalk B pedestrian has the right-of-way even if the pedestrian signal is showing a “Don’t Walk” display.  Drivers should be in the habit of paying attention to what the pedestrian is doing, and not to what their signal display is showing.