Crosswalk to Be Improved
Published Monday, January 31, 2011
Crosswalk to Be Improved
When Harish Taylor was struck by a car and killed while walking in a crosswalk at Felix and Laurel Street in November 2009, the City's Public Works Department recommended removing the crosswalk because it was "unsafe." That didn't make any sense to People Power, Mission Pedestrian, or those who live in the neighborhood. It seemed to us that an unsafe crosswalk should be made safer, not eliminated. As a group, we approached City staff to convey our opinion and to suggest how the crossing could be improved. They listened.
In a nice turnaround, the Public Works Department successfully applied for a grant to improve both the crosswalk at Felix Street and the one at Blackburn Street. The preliminary design calls for traffic islands to protect pedestrians, left-hand turn lanes to improve automobile flow, and six-foot-wide bike lanes, along with the current sidewalks and bus stops. We call that a real win-win-win situation and we appreciate being heard by Public Works.