traffic
Crosswalk question regarding entry point into crosswalk
<p>I live in the state of Florida but I am asking this as a general question.  I often wondered this.  Suppose I was on my motorcycle and only had a few minutes more to get to work but when I got very close (walking distance from work), I got stopped by a red light but I was first in line at that red light (wanting to turn left).  Knowing that if I wait for the red light, I might be late for work and maybe lose my job (or at least get reprimanded).  So I am wondering in that situation, can I enter the crosswalk from my lane by walking my motorcycle across the road (with the engine still running), then walk it back onto the other connecting road and continue my very short ride to work, or might that be considered circumventing a red light (such as you are not allowed to cut thru a corner gas station at an intersection to avoid a red light there).  I wonder if a cop saw me do this, if I would get a citation and what that citation might be.  Does it specifically state that pedestrians MUST enter a crosswalk ONLY from the corners?  A variation of the motorcycle situation stated is what if someone else was driving me to work and got stopped at the red light, could I, as a passenger in that same vehicle, exit the vehicle, enter the crosswalk midway, and continue to my workplace on foot?</p>

<p>You can assume that the pedestrian crossing light is favorable for either variation of this hypothetical scenario so no jaywalking would apply.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&amp;URL=0300-0399/0316/Sections/0316.074.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&amp;URL=0300-0399/0316/Sections/0316.074.html</a> appears to be the regulating statute for Florida.</p>

<p>The applicable section in the statute reads:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>(2) No person shall drive any vehicle from a roadway to another
  roadway to avoid obeying the indicated traffic control indicated by
  such traffic control device.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>By your description, you are not driving the motorcycle into the crosswalk. Plus one for you. To qualify, you'd have to make the left turn by walking, in order to "match the green light" for pedestrian traffic.</p>

<p>This puts you on the contra-flow side of your desired traffic lane, however and crossing in the crosswalk to reach the lane would create a jay-walking situation. Lose one point.</p>

<p>You could get either a jay-walking citation or a circumventing citation. The former is likely to stick, the latter has more ambiguity.</p>

<p>Your passenger scenario isn't so ambiguous. Once you leave the vehicle and become a pedestrian, pedestrian regulations apply.</p>

<p>If your pedestrian actions allow you to obey crosswalk signals, it is likely they will match the vehicular traffic signals as well, providing no advantage in the passage of time.</p>

<p>I've found no reference in the statutes regarding release of passengers from a motor vehicle, other than the general one of blocking traffic flow. If the vehicle releasing the passenger is stopped at a traffic light, impeding traffic is going to be a difficult charge to apply.</p>
