Efforts to improve pedestrian safety revealed after recent death of Colorado Springs woman
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Road Warrior asked local officials about whether they're doing more to improve pedestrian safety during a nationwide trend of more pedestrians being hurt or killed by vehicles, even in crosswalks designed to alert drivers and protect pedestrians.
The latest local tragedy happened four weeks ago when a 78-year-old woman died after a traffic accident in a crosswalk at the intersection of Cascade Avenue and Sunflower Road. north of Fillmore Street.
Another person in the crosswalk at the time was also hit, but received minor injuries; police said that charges are pending against the driver.
Todd Frisbie, the city's chief traffic engineer, said that a yearlong, federally-funded grant program will eventually study intersections to determine if more pedestrian safety measures are needed.
Because of close calls reported by pedestrians, the city recently installed signs at the intersection of Colorado and Nevada avenues -- a busy pedestrian corridor between a city parking garage and the City Administration Building.
The signs inform drivers that right turns on red are not allowed at the intersection when pedestrians are present.
"That's already the law, but it's just a reminder to drivers," Frisbie explained. "Drivers are supposed to stop at the stop bar, but many of them actually stop in the crosswalk with people in it, trying to turn right. Some cities are banning right turns on red entirely."
He added that the Colorado/Nevada intersection is the only one in the city where the signs are posted.
"We'll look at future changes on a case-by-case basis," Frisbie said.
Another safety feature at some downtown crosswalks is a button that allows pedestrians to briefly deactivate the left turn signals for drivers, giving people enough time to cross the street.
"Pedestrian safety is particularly important downtown where we have more people walking, more people using scooters and more people living," Frisbie said.
On the south end of town is a deteriorating bridge across Interstate 25, at the T-intersection of Highway 85-87, B Street and Venetucci Boulevard.
The bridge was built in 1956 and has no safe and easy way for people to walk across it, and has no street lights to illuminate it at night; people walk across it to get to and rom home or work, to access businesses on B Street or to reach a nearby trailhead.
Several viewers have contacted The Road Warrior asking if the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will replace the bridge; officials recently said that they they have no immediate plans to do so because although the bridge is crumbling, it remains functional.
However, CDOT -- realizing that the bridge now likely carries more pedestrians that it was originally designed for -- said that it will consider the possibility of safety measures in the future.
Earlier this week, The Road Warrior reported on a $4 million project in Cañon City to build a center median and install six pedestrian crossings along busy US 50 near downtown.
