We’re not sure when it happened, but sometime in the last month or so, the D.C. government replaced the crosswalk signs at all the crossings around Dupont Circle. The old crosswalk signs have been replaced with the signs already installed throughout most of downtown D.C., which feature a countdown timer and beeping noise for the visually handicapped.

Unfortunately, the change means that the distinctive Dupont crosswalk men are forever gone. If you never noticed, we snapped this photo in September. The little figures seemed to have a spring in their step, implying a positively upbeat view on life; with weight balanced between each leg and a perfectly upright posture, this person was crossing with a purpose. The replacements, the international standard, seems to labor across the intersection with a slightly bent posture. Although distinctive, they certainly don’t live up to the green-hatted East Berlin “crosswalk man.”

And while we do appreciate urban renewal and the nifty timers, we will always remember you, little Dupont crosswalk man.