First, link to the background info:
http://localhost/message-board/topic/no-pedestrians-signs-planned-for-a-regent-square-intersection/
This is an update on what happened at the Thursday 2/23 meeting in Swissvale regarding traffic and pedestrians on Braddock Ave.
The good news is that indeed,
WE’RE GETTING A CROSSWALK AT SANDERS!
At Sanders, in addition to a crosswalk in ornamental, stamped, red concrete, Swissvale and Edgewood boroughs are planning curb extensions that shorten the distance pedestrians must walk. And also rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs). They will start to flash yellow immediately when a pedestrian pushes the button, for a set period of time. See all photos from the meeting at
https://goo.gl/photos/zzsvtqfPmb8HGcjT9 and an RRFB video at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQlaFJy-nY0 . The Sanders work will cost about $90,000.
The meeting discussed other intersections along Braddock Ave. At Hutchinson, the traffic signal will be reprogrammed to eliminate the all-walk phase and replace it with leading pedestrian interval (LPI), meaning the walk light comes on several seconds before the green for cars traveling the same direction. I agree with the opinion of many at the meeting that elimination of the all-walk phase is a step backward. My opinion is that the LPI interval needs to be long to be safe (8 seconds would be good).
The crosswalk at Charleston will be moved down the hill a bit, and will also be ornamental concrete. Two electronic speedometers that display passing car speeds will be set up.
Don’t expect these changes until 2018, however, because of PennDOT bureaucracy.
I’m grateful to the boroughs for their plans, which are mostly improvements, but I suspect that these changes aren’t enough; that we will continue to have too many cars backed up illegally through the Sanders intersection, making it unsafe for pedestrians, too many drivers breaking the law failing to stop for pedestrians, too many drivers breaking the law speeding near Charleston. Without better enforcement, pedestrians will continue to get hurt.
There is a feedback form that you could fill out, to comment on the plans (which are not yet finalized). See the last two pictures at the first link. CEC, the traffic engineering company, wants comments mailed in by March 9. You could also probably email them to
bmoldovan@cecinc.com .
https://flic.kr/p/Rb5PBY