Push button for walk signal sign: what it means
The Push Button for Walk Signal sign means you must press the button to get the WALK signal to cross. Without it, the signal may not show WALK.
What does the push button for walk signal sign mean?
MUTCD Section 2B.58 says that where pedestrians must press a button to call a signal phase to cross, the sign is mounted right above or built into the push button. The arrow shows which crosswalk the button is for.
Quick quiz
What does the sign at the top of this page mean?
- Press the button to get a WALK signal.
- People may be crossing ahead.
- Where to stop, and where people cross.
Show answer
A. Press the button to get a WALK signal. Pedestrians must press the button to call the WALK signal (MUTCD Section 2B.58). Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2B, Regulatory Signs, Barricades, and Gates: Section 2B.58, FHWA; MUTCD 11th Edition, FHWA
Where will you see it?
On poles at signalized intersections and mid-block crossings, at the push button.
What should you do?
Pedestrians: press the button for the crosswalk the arrow points to, then wait for the WALK signal. Drivers: expect pedestrians to start crossing when the WALK signal shows.
What do people get wrong?
Pressing the button for the wrong crossing. The arrow on the sign points along the crosswalk the button serves.
Common questions
Which crosswalk does the button control?
The one the arrow on the sign points to. MUTCD Section 2B.58 says the finger in the push button symbol should point the same way as the arrow.
Is there a version for a green signal?
Yes. Push Button for Green Signal is used where pedestrians cross on the green rather than a WALK indication (Section 2B.58).
Compare with
Pedestrian crossing signPeople may be crossing ahead.
Stop lines and crosswalksWhere to stop, and where people cross.
Want to test someone else? Play a road-sign quiz with friends and family.
Sources
Checked on 3 November 2026 against the MUTCD 11th Edition (FHWA), Section 2B.58.
- MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2B, Regulatory Signs, Barricades, and Gates: Section 2B.58, FHWA
- MUTCD 11th Edition, FHWA. FHWA lists the current version as the 11th Edition with Revision 1, dated December 2025
Sign pictures are our own simplified drawings of the MUTCD designs, which are in the public domain (MUTCD Section 1D.06). Sources and image credits.