We pass a number of these on the regular route for our bike rides, but of course they're all over town. You know the drill: You push the button, nothing happens, and cars keep coming. You push it again. And again. Nothing happens. Finally, the lights change, cars come to a halt, and you cross the street. But it occurs to you that the walk sign coming on had absolutely nothing to do with your pushing the button. You wonder if it's even connected, or whether it's a placebo button designed to make pedestrians feel they can control their fate, even if they can't really.Wiki summary with a couple links. Reddit thread on this topic. Some people argue that "placebo buttons" are common on traffic crossings, elevators, office thermostats. Others argue that the buttons actually do modify things that go unnoticed, such as the length of time a light stays red or green. TYWKIWDBI doesn't pretend to have an answer.
Photo credit to Madison Guy.