<div> Visionseekers,</div> <div> </div> <div> Mr. Rumelhart makes some good points. </div> <div> The pedestrian crossings on that part of the Pullman road really can be pretty scary. </div> <div> Worrisome is right. </div> <div> There have been new crossing signs with flags put up on the road in a couple of places and that's great. But, unfortunately, this doesn't seem to have helped the situation all that much. </div> <div> </div> <div> Several on here have likely had some close calls.</div> <div> Same here. </div> <div> The last one happened while returning from the Pullman at dusk, going the speed limit or a little under. All of a sudden, a guy in one of those charcoal gray warmup suits was right in front of me in the middle of the lane. I had to brake really hard and veer
over or it would have been pedestrian crunch time. </div> <div> </div> <div> The guy wasn't being careful or using a real cross walk. </div> <div> But that wouldn't have been much consolation for either of us if he'd been thrashing around under my tires--that came within inches of happening. </div> <div> </div> <div> With all the new apartment construction out that way, maybe something new does need to be done. More people are crossing wherever they want...without regard to marked crossings.</div> <div> I'm not sure that more jaywalking enforcement is the answer. I don't think word would get around on that. </div> <div> Would some flashing caution lights and reflective traffic bumps or just reflectors be a good way to mark the crossings? It's a state highway and that makes it more complicated but it's worth looking into. </div>
<div> </div> <div> The rest of the crossings on other streets in town need better marking too.</div> <div> It seems like the white paint marking the crossings wears out so quickly. </div> <div> I've been told the ice melt, gravel, sand and snow tires all do a job on the paint. </div> <div> Then after the weather clears up it takes quite a while for the city to get the markings re-done. </div> <div> That's understandable with all that needs doing but the crossings aren't defined very well in the meantime. </div> <div> </div> <div> Maybe some different approach--possibly raised marking would work better. </div> <div> I'm sure this would be more expensive in the short term. But if a different marking system saved the expense of repainting every year and made the crossings safer it might make sense. </div>
<div> TL</div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> "Those 'technicalities' have a name, Bobby. They're called the Bill Of Rights."</div> <div> ----Hank Hill</div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> <BR><BR><B><I>Paul Rumelhart
<godshatter@yahoo.com></I></B> wrote:</div> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">My apologies if this has been discussed here before, but I wanted to <BR>state my opinions on this.<BR><BR>I worry that someday some person (probably a college student) is going <BR>to be seriously injured or killed at this crosswalk. It has all the <BR>makings of a death trap. It's on one of the few four-lane streets <BR>(five, really) around with a higher-than-average-in-Moscow speed limit. <BR>I've seen so many drivers just cruise on through without even thinking <BR>about it being a crosswalk, and I've also seen people just pop up from <BR>the slight incline that leads to it's entrance on the UI side and just <BR>start hoofing it across the road. I'm aware of the dangers here, and <BR>watch it closely, and I've still been surprised to find someone in the <BR>crosswalk there. They either popped up like we're playing
whack-a-mole <BR>from the UI side or they were hidden by the other cars that were just <BR>blithely driving through the crosswalk ahead of them or behind them. <BR>The signs are nice, but they are not enough.<BR><BR>I appreciate the need for a crosswalk there, since you either have to <BR>jaywalk or walk a block in either direction or more to get to a valid <BR>crosswalk. As it stands, though, I think we'd be safer letting them <BR>jaywalk - at least they would be cautious of the traffic. With a legal <BR>crosswalk there, the old UI-taught behavior of "just walk out there, <BR>they'll stop" appears to kick in.<BR><BR>Some minor suggestions that might help would include a yellow light <BR>suspended over the crosswalk, or maybe spotlights on both sides so we <BR>can see better at night, or possibly a concrete "staging platform" that <BR>is easily visible amongst the grass so we have a better idea where to <BR>look ahead of time. A better idea would probably be to just put a
light <BR>there, one that turns red only if a pedestrian pushes the button.<BR><BR>Anyone have any other ideas? Are there plans for something to happen <BR>there that just haven't been completed yet?<BR><BR>Paul<BR><BR>=====================================================<BR>List services made available by First Step Internet, <BR>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <BR>http://www.fsr.net <BR>mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<BR>====================================================<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><p> 
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