Crosswalk Safety Boost
At our May 1 meeting, the council voted to spend about $14,000 on some signals that should improve visibility at the three crosswalks on Allen Street across from Kelso High School and Coweeman Middle School. At a meeting last year, Bill Weiss asked the council to consider this move in the interest of the students and others who use the crosswalks. Since that time, the city’s staff has been investigating options for devices.
Some of the ideas that other cities have tried, like rollaway cones or other objects placed between the lanes of traffic, seem like good ideas, but have had to be removed because they’re not covered in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The MUTCD basically defines what kinds of signs and pavement markers are to be used and what they mean.
The council went with the public works director’s recommendation to use two different kinds of signals. The signals at 17th and 22nd will have flashing 8″ amber lights, similar to what you might see at the ends of a school zone. The signals at 19th Ave. will look like the one pictured here, with a series of five LEDs circling the sign. The signals will each be set to flash on demand, when a pedestrian pushes a button.
