Work to begin to improve pedestrian crosswalks

A project aimed at improving public safety at key traffic intersections in Mountain Home gained a final green light by the city council last week.

During a public hearing April 8, the council unanimously approved plans to install crossing signal equipment at two intersections that cross American Legion Boulevard.

City street crews plan to install the first pair of crossing lights on the east side of the North 14th East Street intersection. Once that system is fully tested, crews would then set up the other signal lights at the North 6th East crosswalk.

Work is expected to start within the next 45 to 90 days, said Rick Harvel, who heads the city's street department. The same flashing crossing lights are already used in Nampa and Payette.

Unlike standard crossing signs already in use here, the new signs use rapidly flashing lights to alert drivers that people are crossing the street. Push buttons on the signal poles on both sides of the street allow pedestrians to activate the crossing lights before they enter the intersection.

According to state law, drivers are required to stop and yield to pedestrians when the signal lights are flashing, said Police Sgt. Rick Viola, a spokesman with the Mountain Home Police Department. Drivers that don't heed these traffic control devices can be ticketed for failing to yield.

At the same time, pedestrians are also required to wait until the intersection is clear before they proceed across the street, Viola added.

In January, the council unanimously approved plans to purchase new crossing signal equipment for the two intersections. Originally, the council considered buying three sets of signal lights but cut the plans back to two sets, citing budget concerns.

During the April 8 meeting, the four-person council was unanimous in designating North 14th East Street as the city's top priority for the new signal lights. In recent years, there were a number of close calls as children crossed the road to get to and from school, members of the council said. In recent months, a child sustained a broken leg after he was struck by a car at that intersection.

But the council had differing views on where that second set of lights would go. Schipani felt the crosswalk at North 6th East Street was a priority since the local school zone begins there. He also emphasized that he's seen saw more than one case where vehicles have nearly hit children trying to cross at that intersection.

Councilman Richard Urquidi and Councilwoman Alain Isaac felt the second set of lights needed to go up at the intersection of North 9th East Street and American Legion since it was also a high-risk crossing point. However, Urquidi conceded that a traffic light is already in place just one block away at the intersection of North 10th East Street with posted traffic guards when school is in session.

But that third intersection will remain a priority, the council emphasized. The city could buy a third set of crossing lights when the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1 and install them at the North 9th East crosswalk

The decision to buy the new crossing signals was tied, in part, to a briefing held last April seeking to improve safety for students walking or riding their bikes to and from school. It was one of several recommendations outlined by the Idaho's Safe Routes to School team.

Their findings culminated a year-long effort that examined current conditions around East Elementary and Hacker Middle schools. This group of concerned parents and public officials identified a number of safety issues around both building, including dangerous crosswalks, inattentive drivers and speeding traffic.

The largest of these concerns dealt with American Legion Boulevard, which represents a significant student safety issue, said Safe Routes to School consultant Chris Danley. A barrier for those trying to get to and from school with more than 10,000 cars using it every day, he highlighted the number of drivers that speed on this stretch of road or fail to yield to students at key crossing points.

According to data from a survey of more than 400 parents with school age children here, a significant number of these students live north of the boulevard and need to cross it twice a day to get to and from the middle school.

To remedy these types of concerns, Danley suggested the city add the pedestrian-activated signals for those crossing American Legion Boulevard. A similar initiative in Nampa led to a significant reduction in vehicle-pedestrian incidents, he said.