This is known as a beg button. As in, pedestrians unquestionably have the right of way, but since our cities are so overtly auto-oriented, we make the pedestri

This is known as a beg button. As in, pedestrians unquestionably have the right of way, but since our cities are so overtly auto-oriented, we make the pedestrians beg for their rights by pushing a button. These are emblematic of the spectacular failures of urban design that happened in the USA in the last 80 or so years.