The Secret Life of Crosswalk Buttons
Like Duolingo, but for The Secret Life of Crosswalk Buttons. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
Free during early access · No credit card · iPhone & Android

You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo turns The Secret Life of Crosswalk Buttons into a game you actually finish. Levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that make it stick. Five minutes a day.
Where The Secret Life of Crosswalk Buttons takes you
Go beyond the 'Walk' sign to discover the hidden logic and complex engineering behind pedestrian signals. Learn how these buttons communicate with traffic grids and why they don't always work the way you expect.
- 1
The Illusion of Control
- The Placebo Effect: When Buttons Do Nothing
- Automated Cycles vs. User Demand
- Visual Feedback: Why Lights and Sounds Matter
- The Psychology of Waiting at the Curb
- 2
How the Signal Hears You
- Mechanical Switches and Physical Wear
- Capacitive Touch: Sensing Your Finger
- Piezoelectric Sensors: Pressure into Electricity
- Infrared and Motion Alternatives
- The Logic Board: Processing the Request
- Weatherproofing and Vandalism Resistance
- 3
The Brain of the Intersection
- Traffic Controllers: The Metal Boxes on the Corner
- Prioritizing Vehicles vs. Pedestrians
- Pre-emption: How Ambulances Override the System
- 4
Accessibility and Universal Design
- Audible Cues: Chirps, Cuckoos, and Speech
- Tactile Feedback: Vibrating Arrows and Braille
- Extended Walk Times for Slower Traffic
- Locating the Button in the Dark
- The Evolution of Inclusivity Standards
- 5
The Networked City
- Coordinated Corridors: The Green Wave
- Data Collection: Counting the Crowds
- Smart Signals: Adjusting in Real Time
- Wireless Communication Between Poles
5 sections · 22 units · 88 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
Picture this: a city planner finds a button that no longer works. Why might they leave it on the pole?
Get it right to open this lesson and 87 more in the app.
You pick the voice
The Secret Life of Crosswalk Buttons is taught in the The Storyteller style: every lesson is a story. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start The Secret Life of Crosswalk Buttons today.
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