[lofenfew]

> Do you have some sort of countdown, or innate knowledge?

often, in the form of the pedestrian signal.

> try to clear it before it turns red?

This is the rule in much of the world, yes.

[kurthr]

I assume you mean the perpendicular direction crossing lights? Most pedestrian lights have delays longer than that in California for safety so you might stop at a green light.

Also, if nobody presses a button ped-lights don't even turn on, just like left turn signals don't turn on without a vehicle triggering it.

[rafram]

> Also, if nobody presses a button ped-lights don't even turn on

This is no longer true in many cities. Most SF crosswalks don’t require a press anymore, many don’t in LA, and all don’t in New York. AFAIK it was a Covid thing, back when people thought surfaces spread the virus, but it stuck.