Legalizing jaywalking

Here's something new, at least to me.

There's a pedestrian crosswalk in the middle of a block, the 1700 block of Arch, right at the doorstep of the Comcast Center.

A crosswalk in the middle of the block? Don't they belong at, you know, the corner?

Yes, a well-placed city official tells me, but there is a reason for this anomaly.

The primary reason is that spot is a "natural pathway" arriving commuters use, and they were clocked at 1,000 an hour at peak times, most of them jaywalking by crossing mid-block.

"There was no way we could get them to go to the corner," said my anonymous source, "so we decided, 'let's make this safe.'"

The crosswalk is a (pardon the expression) hump, so wheelchairs can glide across it effortlessly. The crosswalk also is fitted out with flashing lights and lime green warning signs that practically blind motorists.

This was done, basically, to accommodate jaywalkers?, I ask.

He smiles sheepishly and says, yes, but the rules were changed and now what they do it legal.

Besides, he quickly adds, "not a dime" of city money was spent on the crosswalk. That was paid for by Brandywine Realty Trust.

So jaywalkers are no longer jaywalkers and can cross in safety and it didn't cost taxpayers anything.

Hard to complain about the outcome.