Like many residents in West Hollywood, I was saddened by the tragic fatal accident involving a MTA bus and two elderly men at a busy crosswalk on Santa Monica Boulevard at Palm Avenue. As a community, this should spark the conversation about lessons to be learned about pedestrian safety in the city of West Hollywood.
As a resident here in the mid-city area, I was excited by the news of the city implementing a new pedestrian crossing design over the past two months; especially given the fact on several occasions near my place of residence, I have had to play “human-frogger” in order to cross Crescent Heights Boulevard at Norton Avenue. We all expect common-sense solutions to safeguard our residents and visitors here in our city. When we experience an unfortunate tragedy like this, we must ask: What can we do to improve our pedestrian safety systems and architecture?
Santa Monica Boulevard at Palm Avenue is a frequently used intersection among others that will now be the center point for pedestrian safety discussions.
There are some way the city can improve its newer pedestrian crossing systems:
1.) There are flashing yellow lights that draw a driver’s attention to the sign rather than to the person(s) in the crosswalk. This can be increasingly more dangerous if the driver is impaired as they may become fixated on the flashing lights and never see the pedestrian until it’s too late.
2.) The signals flash at all times of day with or without activation by a pedestrian. Drivers may ignore them over time.
3.) The pedestrian crossing is not illuminated at night to make the pedestrians using the crossings more visible.
The City’s Opportunity
The type of pedestrian crossing design we should advocate for is a “vertical luminance” lighting design that would be pedestrian activated. My suggestion would be that the crossing timings be optimized to accommodate senior citizens and parents with children in order to ensure the illumination periods work for all pedestrians within our city. This design ensures that pedestrians are visible at dusk or night, thus increasing pedestrian safety. This design was reviewed by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (“Informational Report on Lighting Design for Midblock Crosswalks,” April 2008) and resulted in a favorable review. The lighting systems can be solar powered, which can be a cost benefit.
Cost is always a concern when it comes to enhancing the city’s infrastructure. In light of the recent tragedy, the expense would not be too great. It’s certainly a priority for me.
As a resident, member of law enforcement and candidate for West Hollywood city council, my focus is to keep West Hollywood safe. I am always looking for common-sense solutions for common, everyday issues while listening to the needs of our community. It is an honor to serve the community of West Hollywood and I look forward to continuing to serve our residents as a member of the people’s West Hollywood city council.
Folks, it is a regrettable reality that drivers today are distracted, are driving too fast and not driving well. In addition to what the City can do to increase visibility and awareness, please exercise caution for your own safety’s sake. Be visible, watch the traffic and “CYA.” Better safe than “in the right.”
i’m sorry i missed this article when first released ….well done!….i hope the city does this….just imagine if these 2 guys were YOUR family members….alas, the city has not said one peep since this accident, nor changed a thing….i want this in writing so when it happens again, and it most certainly will, i will mail the families a copy of this and other backup so they can sue the hell out of the city….thanks for this christopher….some CARE & COMPASSION is very much missing from the campaign this year…..the incumbents are waaay too busy attacking instead of doing the… Read more »