New and Improved Crosswalks
We currently have many crosswalks in the city which require maintenance every two to five years. Funding for crosswalk maintenance has not kept pace with the growth in new marked crosswalks. For the time being, due to maintenance funding constraints, we are limiting the striping of new crosswalks, or enhancing existing ones, to just those that are included in the Transportation Master Plan.
In the Master Plan, we have identified crossing projects on major streets. Major streets have the highest traffic volumes and speeds and are typically more than two lanes. These are the streets that can be the most difficult for a pedestrian to cross. We prioritize new crosswalks on major streets that are close to schools, parks, bus stops, and other pedestrian destinations. To make sure these crosswalks are safe, we build improvements that “enhance” the crosswalk markings. These may include bulb-outs at the corner to shorten the crossing distance, a crossing island so the pedestrian only crosses half the street at a time, or a flashing beacon system to raise driver awareness of a pedestrian, for example.
See pages 50 to 55 of the Transportation Master Plan to see how we identified and prioritized these enhanced crosswalks. The intent is to build a safer and more equitable transportation system with the limited funds we have.