They’re easy to miss at this early juncture – but two new crossing areas are being installed on Buchanan Blvd. so that getting across the street isn’t reminiscent of the Frogger video arcade game. Here’s the story:
About 175 feet up from where Broadmoor Circle and Royal Birkdale Dr. let out onto Buchanan, you’ll see new ADA compliant ramps on each side of the street, as well as a “cut-out” in the median between them (see photos below). This is the first phase of a multi-phase effort to provide safer crossing areas over to Veterans Memorial Park and was funded by a Federal Community Development Block Grant.
The next phase (that cannot be funded by that grant) will be to add sidewalks that cover the 175 feet distance from the corners to the new crossing areas. The reason the crossing area is 175 feet away from the corner is because the cut-out in the median island will provide a refuge area allowing pedestrians a place to stop and check for oncoming traffic halfway across the roadway (whereas the corner locations have no median).
Here’s a good summary of the goal – it’s an excerpt from the City’s memo about the project:
It is the hope of the City that pedestrians heading to Veterans Memorial Park to take a walk will choose to go the extra 175 feet to the new ramps and utilize the median island refuges to cross the street as safely as possible. Certainly people who are mobility challenged and those pushing strollers will find the new crossings much safer and our goal is to serve all citizens of the community. We have already received positive feedback from one parent who has instructed their kids to only cross at the new crossings.
