A diagonal pedestrian crossing is an intersection design that stops every direction of vehicle traffic at the same time so people on foot can cross in any direction during a single signal phase, including straight across, to an adjacent corner, or diagonally to the opposite corner. It’s often called the “Barnes Dance” or a pedestrian scramble, after the traffic commissioner who rolled it out in Denver, Baltimore, and New York City in the early 1950s. A Federal Highway Administration study of New York intersections found a 51 percent drop in vehicle-pedestrian crashes after installation.1Federal Highway Administration. Where Was the First Walk/Don’t Walk Sign Installed? – Highway History2CMF Clearinghouse. Implement Barnes Dance
How the Signal Phase Works
The signal controller adds a dedicated interval when every vehicular approach shows red at the same time. During that all-red window, pedestrians get the walking person symbol in every direction and can cross along any marked path. When the phase ends, the steady upraised hand shows for at least three seconds before any vehicle movement resumes.3Federal Highway Administration. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices – Chapter 4E Pedestrian Control Features
Because that scramble phase is added on top of the regular north-south and east-west green phases, the overall cycle runs longer than at a conventional intersection. Everyone waits longer per cycle, which is why engineers reserve this design for locations where pedestrian volumes or crash patterns justify the tradeoff.
Rules for Pedestrians
The basic rule is the same as any signalized crosswalk: wait for the walking person symbol before stepping off the curb. Once that symbol lights up, you can head straight across, to an adjacent corner, or diagonally to the opposite corner. Whichever path you choose, stay inside the marked crosswalk lines.
The flashing upraised hand trips a lot of people up. It does not mean run back to the curb. It means don’t start a new crossing. If you were already in the crosswalk when the walking person was showing and the hand starts flashing while you’re partway across, you have the right to finish at a normal pace. The violation is stepping off the curb after the flashing hand has already begun. Fines for crossing against the signal vary by jurisdiction and typically fall somewhere between $50 and $200.
Cyclists face a patchwork of local rules at these intersections. Some cities require riders to dismount and walk their bikes across during the pedestrian phase; others allow riding through at walking speed. There is no single federal standard, so check your local ordinance before assuming you can ride.
Rules for Drivers
The single most important rule for drivers is that no turning movements are allowed during the pedestrian phase. “No Turn on Red” restrictions are standard at every approach to a scramble intersection, and every signal shows red to vehicles while pedestrians are crossing. Keep your vehicle entirely behind the stop line or crosswalk marking until the pedestrian signal is done.
When the vehicular green returns, anyone still finishing their crossing has the right of way, whether they’re in your lane or on the far side of the intersection. If someone is still in the roadway when your light turns green, wait.
Penalties depend on the jurisdiction. Entering the crosswalk during an active pedestrian phase, running the red, or turning against a “No Turn on Red” sign can each result in moving violations, fines, and in some states points on your license. If a violation causes injury, consequences can escalate into criminal charges and civil liability.
Crosswalk Markings and Signs
A scramble intersection typically has crosswalks running around all four sides plus diagonal crosswalks cutting across the middle. The 11th Edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, published in December 2023, added a dedicated section for these markings. The diagonal segments are shown as simple parallel lines rather than the bold ladder-style bars used for high-visibility crossings; the perimeter crosswalks can still use ladder markings.4Federal Highway Administration. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices – 11th Edition
Signage near the signal heads usually reads “Pedestrian Scramble” or “Diagonal Crossing,” sometimes with a small diagram showing the available paths. The 11th Edition also allows speech-based push button messages to announce the unusual signalization and the presence of diagonal crosswalks.4Federal Highway Administration. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices – 11th Edition
Accessibility Features
At a conventional intersection, the sound of parallel traffic is a cue for pedestrians with vision disabilities that it’s safe to cross. During an exclusive pedestrian phase, all traffic is stopped, so that cue disappears. Federal accessibility rules address this with specific requirements for accessible pedestrian signals.
The Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines require that wherever pedestrian signal heads are provided, the walk indication include both an audible signal and a vibrating push button surface during the walk interval.5U.S. Access Board. Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines At scramble intersections, the speech walk message follows a specific pattern: “Walk sign is on for all crossings.”6National Archives. Accessibility Guidelines for Pedestrian Facilities in the Public Right-of-Way That wording is different from a conventional intersection, where the announcement names the specific street being crossed.
Push buttons also emit a locator tone at one-second intervals when the walk signal is not active, audible from 6 to 12 feet away so pedestrians can find the button. Audible walk signals must be louder than ambient noise but capped at 5 dBA above it, with automatic adjustment up to a maximum of 100 dBA.5U.S. Access Board. Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines Truncated dome surfaces at curb ramps alert pedestrians that they are approaching the street, and raised-bar tactile indicators at corners with ambiguous alignment help orient people toward the correct crosswalk path.
Safety Benefits and the Delay Tradeoff
The safety case rests on that 51 percent crash reduction from the New York City study, which drew on 97 pre-installation crashes and 19 post-installation crashes. A comparison group of unmodified intersections saw only a 9 percent reduction over the same period.2CMF Clearinghouse. Implement Barnes Dance
The cost is time. Adding the exclusive pedestrian phase means longer red times for every direction of vehicle traffic, and research has shown vehicular delay can more than double compared to standard two-phase timing. Pedestrians wait longer per cycle too, since their phase comes around only once rather than once for each parallel direction. The math tends to favor the scramble at intersections with heavy pedestrian volumes, frequent turning-vehicle conflicts, or a documented pattern of pedestrian crashes. Where many people are trying to reach a diagonally opposite corner, the diagonal path can also cut total walking distance by roughly 13 percent by eliminating the two-stage L-shaped crossing.
What Happens When Emergency Vehicles Approach
When an emergency vehicle approaches, the signal controller can interrupt the pedestrian interval. The MUTCD allows the walk interval or change interval to be shortened or omitted entirely during emergency preemption, and federal guidance directs engineers to allow as much time as possible for pedestrians to finish crossing or return to the curb before the preemption takes full effect.7Federal Highway Administration. Traffic Signal Timing Manual – Chapter 9 Advanced Signal Timing Topics If you’re mid-crossing and hear a siren, head for the nearest curb or median rather than trying to complete a diagonal path. The signal can change faster than you expect.