After more near-death experiences than she was comfortable with while crossing Abrams to get to Whole Foods, neighbor Rose Farley emailed the City to request new signage along the crosswalk.
In December, Farley filed a 311 to request a flashing sign, but she was told “the area doesn’t qualify for a flashing sign due to a lack of pedestrians.”
After being flipped off and cussed out a few more times while crossing the street, Farley decided to try again in May. This time she emailed city council representative Philip Kingston, asking if he could “persuade the streets department to repair and possibly improve signage for the crosswalk to Whole Foods over Abrams.”
Kingston’s assistant Connie Sanchez filed four service requests, and in early June she received the replies:
Sanchez requested that the streets department re-stripe the pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection of Prospect and Abrams, and the streets department responded that they would re-stripe the crosswalk by August 30.
She also requested that new signs be put in because, at the time, there was only one sign going south at Prospect and Abrams. The streets department confirmed that staff had “found several crosswalk warning signs missing,” and said “a work order has been issued to replace the missing signs.”
The streets department also confirmed that police are monitoring the area to keep chronic traffic violators in check.
And finally, Sanchez requested a flashing sign, like Farley originally wanted. However, that request didn’t fly so well.
The streets department responded, saying it “does not recommend the installation of a warning flasher at this time because there has been no record of any collisions involving pedestrians and vehicles in the last three years. In addition, the cross walk falls between two traffic signals, each within approximately 500 feet of the crosswalk.”
So no flashing signs for cross-walking pedestrians; however, the street department did put in new signs along the crosswalk earlier this month. There are two new signs beside the crosswalk, and two more signs warning drivers of the crosswalk ahead. The streets department also promised to re-stripe the street by the end of August, which Farley believes will help make the crosswalk more visible to drivers.
“Someone is going to have to take a hit for the city if we want a flashing sign there,” Farley quipped. “I’d hate to be the test case. But the city did respond. I didn’t ask for the ‘crosswalk ahead’ signs, and they put those in, so that’s nice. It’s a start.”
