That coming from a New Yorker?

I have had cars stop for me. But, it is a complex issue. Perhaps just crosswalk paint or cobblestones would help define it as a place for bikes to cross.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to stop 3 or 4 lanes of traffic going both ways. One can't go if just one car stops. Perhaps walk out in front of that car, and hope the next gets the idea.

If in town, then sometimes one can take a sidewalk to a traffic controlled intersection, or one finds that some places to cross the same street seem easier than others.