This effort, though frustrating, resulted in Public Works telling us our streets are too unsafe for crosswalks.
The following is a record of our effort to get crosswalks at a selected test intersection. Our hope was that our success in this effort would translate this document into a "How To" guide you can use in your neighborhood.
The test intersection we chose is a neighborhood intersection of non-90 degree angles on the edge of a city park - Tyler Park. To enter Tyler Park from the east pedestrians must cross the dangerous intersection of Edenside & Tyler Park Dr. The intersection shows no indication of past crosswalks and has an awful "sidewalk" entry into the park.
Here is the record - from the beginning.
10 January 2007 - Safe Streets Louisville emailed Public Works (ted.pullen@louisvilleky.gov) asking how we can get crosswalks at that intersection. We copied Metro Parks.
10 January 2007 - Metro Parks immediately responded letting us know:
a) the Director of Park Planning will be asked about the park entry;
b) Parks can not address the crosswalk question as the street is under Public Works' jurisdiction.
18 January 2007 - Safe Streets Louisville emailed Public Works & Metro Parks letting them know we are posting this "progress report" and requesting that they help bring this effort to a quick and successful conclusion.
26 February 2007 - Having heard nothing, we left a message with Public Works' Dan Curtis (574 3879) requesting his help with the crosswalk.
28 February 2007 - Metro Public Works' Rick Storm and Dan Curtis both told us crosswalks at uncontrolled intersections (an intersection without a light) only give pedestrians a false sense of security and result in endangering pedestrians who expect drivers to respect the crosswalk. We were informed that Public Works will not install a crosswalk at an uncontrolled intersection.
The following Courier-Journal article (4 March 2007) leads one to believe Metro government should begin to discourage people from crossing a road or sitting in your livingroom. Drivers are out of control and Metro is doing nothing.
Courier-Journal
4 March 2007
Car crashes into house; no one seriously hurt
A car ended up in the living room of a home this evening after a crash at 28th and Hill streets near Algonquin Park, but there were no serious injuries, a MetroSafe supervisor said. Police received a call about the crash at 8:21 p.m. The supervisor said a parked vehicle also was damaged. She said there were people in the home, but it was unclear if any of the occupants were in the living room when the car struck the home.