الوصف
I was a resident here for many years and so many people crossing the street at Grand and Bellevue have had to dodge cars, including myself on numerous occasions...but many haven't been as fortunate. In fact, an elderly neighbor that lived next door to me was hit, suffered for over a month afterward, and ultimately died from his injuries. An upstairs neighbor was hit and practically crippled for several months, and still suffers pain years later. This is unacceptable!
I have witnessed people nearly being hit as they try to cross here on a legally-marked crosswalk. I've been fortunate enough to escape being hit, but only barely, on several occasions. As a cyclist, this is a concern for me as well since it's difficult to see pedestrians trying to cross with so much traffic, and I've nearly hit a pedestrian myself while on my bike (not to mention nearly being hit on my bike by drivers not paying attention!).
This intersection is dangerous for pedestrians that are just trying to get from the park to the coffee shop or from their apartment to the burger joint.
Better signage? No...they will be equally ignored. Rather, let's install flashing lights embedded in the pavement here! It's well past time that something is done, especially now that there is a new apartment building butting up against this very intersection.
16 تعليقs
تم إقراره City of Oakland (تم التحقق رسميا)
Ken Katz (مستخدم مسجل)
David Coleman (مستخدم مسجل)
Natsu (مستخدم مسجل)
Robert Prinz (مستخدم مسجل)
Here's a news story about OPD crosswalk enforcement at this very location earlier this year: http://kron4.com/2016/03/30/video-oakland-police-crackdown-on-pedestrian-safety.
Unfortunately, they typically only do stings like this when they receive a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety, so it's not an ongoing, consistent effort. That's why the already funded and in-design pedestrian safety project along Grand from Park View to Euclid, which will add pedestrian signals and other crossing improvements, is so needed.
Natsu (مستخدم مسجل)
Ken Katz (مستخدم مسجل)
Natsu (مستخدم مسجل)
Natsu (مستخدم مسجل)
AP neighbor (مستخدم مسجل)
There are 3 more such crosswalks on Grand between Staten and Harrison - at Elita, Lee and Lenox - that also need zebra striping, flashing lights and in one case a pedestrian-crossing sign.
Also needed -
The speed limit from Harrison to 580 should be 25mph. The amount of pedestrian use in this area with people crossing Grand to the park, Fairyland, and businesses, include numerous school children and residents of two senior housing buildings. (Has any one noticed that Grand westward is 25!)
All "walk" signals along grand - and actually in the entire city - should be reprogrammed so that when the light is green the "walk" sign should be on - why should pedestrians have to push the button to turn it on - which some time works and others don't. If pedestrians could trust what the "walk" sign is signaling maybe they would obey it!
And finally, there needs to be a clamp down on bicyclist who ignore the the law by running red lights.
ChestnutMare (مستخدم مسجل)
Natsu (مستخدم مسجل)
Natsu (مستخدم مسجل)
ChestnutMare (مستخدم مسجل)
Robert Prinz (مستخدم مسجل)
I'm frustrated by the slow pace of change too Swimmy44 & Natsu, but the reality right now is that it does take a number of years even from when a city wins funding for a project for it to be designed, approved, and constructed. For instance, a Highway Safety Improvement Program Cycle 5 grant the city won for W MacArthur Blvd in 2012 just started construction in September, for completion by the end of the year. The $580k the city won for fixes at this location along Grand Ave was part of Cycle 6 grant awards a year later, which means we can probably expect construction in 2017. This project is described as such in city memos:
"Grand Avenue from Park View Terrace to Euclid Avenue - Improve all four (4) of the uncontrolled crosswalks in the project area with pedestrian treatments including raised medians, bulb-outs, signing and striping, and two (2) pedestrian signals at the intersection of Grand Avenue/Bellevue Avenue, and Grand Avenue/Lenox Avenue."
If you are upset about the slow pace of progress as I am then I encourage you to vote yes on Measure KK this November to provide the funding needed to bring more city staff on to design and implement these projects faster, and do to more with internal funding as opposed to waiting for unreliable grant awards from the state and federal governments. I also urge you to support the city's effort to reorganize the Public Works department into a Department of Transportation, providing them the coordination and focus needed to roll out high quality projects faster.
Robert Prinz (مستخدم مسجل)