They do a cost-benefit analysis (probability of a lawsuit(s) and probable costs thereof, vs. the cost of fixing) in deciding on a long long list of safety issues, which ones to prioritize. E.g. merge on ramps that are way too short.
There are some standard practices (based on probabilistic expected cost vs. benefit analysis) in deciding what traffic-light intersections get crosswalk buttons and which don't. And for that matter which intersections get traffic lights and which ones just stop signs. Which one get left-turn arrows and which don't. Which ones get left-turn lanes and which don't. Which are no-right-turn-on-red and which aren't. And on and on.
There didn't seem to be any effort by street maintenance workers or otherwise to even look for or report obvious problems like a crosswalk button housing the size of a small fist very visibly hanging by a wire for at least 6 months.
My OP said it's been that way since August, but actually, that's the date I bothered to make a note to myself about it. It may have been longer ago than that.
ETA - I kind of wonder if crosswalk buttons are mostly placebo buttons anyway. They do no doubt lengthen the time of the green light so one has more time to walk across, and there's the count-down display (18, 17, 16,...) so that's good.
Hopefully, if the intersection has a no-left-turn red arrow light, that is illuminated so someone doesn't left-turn into the pedestrian. As for being right-turned into, I don't know if I've seen any protection there -- where I live there just aren't any no-right-turn traffic lights, and, unless a permanent sign says no right turn on red, then right turns on red are legal. (And no right turn on red signs are very often ignored). So I always watch over my left shoulder when I walk into an intersection, watching out for right-turning-into-me vehicles.
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