Pedestrian Safety
The issue of Pedestrian Safety was discussed with passion at the Ward 2 Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, January 31st at the Songbird Cafe. The purpose was to identify and prioritize Ward 2 pedestrian safety "hot spots" and to bring them to the attention to Chief Seto and the Ann Arbor Police Department and Traffic Engineering for additional patrolling and other resolutions. As of February 7th, the feedback from AAPD and Traffic Engineering is as follows:
1. King School Crosswalk at Glazier Way: This crosswalk is scheduled for radar speed measuring devices in the near-term. Chief Seto is particularly concerned about motorists not stopping for children already in the crosswalks and ignoring the crossing guards' stop signs. His staff will reach out to the crossing guards to determine prevalence and develop an action plan.
2. Thurston School Crosswalks at Gettysburgh and Green, and Burbank and Green: The Thurston Safe Routes to School project, slated for contruction in May, will add two Rectangular Rapid Flasing Beacons (RRFB) and two crossing islands and convert a portion of the road from four lanes to three with bike lanes. Additionally the Clague School Safe Routes to School project will install a third RRFB along Green as well as a sidewalk along the east side of Nixon from Clague School to Haverhill. Construction is targeted to start in Sepetmber.
3. The Pedestiran Crosswalk at Geddes between Devonshire and Gallup Parks: Apparently, the City has already received a safety grant to install an RRFB at this location either this summer or early fall.
4. Huron High School Crosswalk on Huron Parkway: This site was recently observed by the AAPD and is on the agenda for the February School Safety Committee meeting. Traffic Engineering anticipates a site visit along with AAPS and will make a recommendation.
Other hot spots that were identified on January 31st and communicated to City staff include the King School Crosswalk at Waldenwood and the steep drop off on the northside Geddes Avenue between Hickory Lane and the pedestrian crosswalk between Geddes and Devonshire Parks. Specific remedies to these sites will be communicated as soon as they are known.
Thank you to everyone who attended the January 31st Town Hall Meeting. The issue of Pedestrian Safety is a continuous one. We will continue to provide updates about remedies and identify new hot spots at future Town Hall meetings. Stay tuned!