Desperately seeking a working pedestrian crosswalk button

I have lived in Atlanta for just over a year now and I am really enjoying it -- thank you all!  I moved here from Seattle and lived in Boston and New York cities prior.  What stands out the most for me in Atlanta is that we love our cars!  Bentley's, Bimmers and Benzes oh my!  Thank goodness too because if you prefer to walk, good luck crossing the street.  Downtown, midtown, Buckhead, I have yet to find pedestrian crosswalk button that actually responds.  It's like a placebo button -- I just have to push it.  All that it seems to do effectively is marking the beginning of the dangerous dodging of cars and trucks.