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When the traffic lights at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and 9th Street turn red, pedestrians will see a walking man for 15 seconds. Then, a 22-second countdown begins so pedestrians know exactly how much time they have left to cross.

"There have been pedestrian fatalities at this intersection and a couple nearby,” said City Councilman Brad Lander.

The city's Department of Transportation says that's one of the reasons why it chose this intersection of Fourth Avenue, which is a major artery with a subway station and school nearby.

"[My] kids’ school is right here on Fourth Avenue, and especially when people are making left-hand turns, it’s extremely dangerous,” said Park Slope resident Katrina Busselle.

Over the past year, the DOT conducted a pilot program with the countdown clocks in 25 locations – five in each borough.

“We did video monitoring to see whether people raced against the clock. What we found is these pedestrian signals work particularly well at wide crossings,” said DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.

"[These clocks] make it so much easier for seniors, for families, for kids, especially for pedestrians, but also for cyclists and drivers to know how much time they have, and to make smart decisions and stay safe," said Lander. "We really believe it's going to save lives."

The DOT commissioner says the countdown clocks will become standard on all wider streets.

"We are going to be installing 1,500 countdown signals throughout the five boroughs,” she said.

The first 250 will be installed over the next three months. So far, residents say it's more than a welcome improvement, though not without its own stress-inducing moments.

"I cross here every day and when the countdown starts, I get nervous because my heart starts pounding because I’m afraid I’m not going to make it,” said Park Slope resident Donna Savilla.

The city is trying to cut the number of traffic fatalities in half by 2030.

Last year, pedestrians made up for more than half of the traffic fatalities in the five boroughs.