New crosswalks create new set of problems

City seeks solution for West State Street pedestrian safety hazard

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Staff writer

After commissioning a traffic study last year and installing crosswalks at the intersections of West State Street and Elmwood and Maple avenues, City of Burlington officials thought they had a solution for the safety of children crossing West State Street.

Instead, as Alderman Bob Prailes described Tuesday night, the crosswalks have created a new potential hazard. While traffic stops at both new crosswalks, some drivers think the traffic is stopped for a driver making a left-hand turn. At that point, an impatient driver could choose to pass on the right.

And sometimes does, according to Prailes, who has seen this situation occur with a youngster crossing the road. He had to yell out his window to get her to stop.

“I was afraid she was going to get killed,” Prailes said.

But the city’s proposal on how to fix the problem met with numerous objections Tuesday night at the City Council Committee of the Whole meeting, and was sent back to city staff for further planning.

The first step of the plan was to be the creation of no parking zones on West State Street adjacent to the crosswalks. Then, according to the proposal showed by DPW Supervisor Dan Jensen, so-called “delineators” would narrow the traffic at those spots to one lane – presumably stopping drivers trying to pass on the right.

However, what started with Alderman Tom Vos expressing frustration over the situation turned into a full-blown argument over whether more needed to be done, whether the city had properly researched the crosswalks before creating them and discussion of what losing those parking spaces would mean for the eight residents who would lose parking in front of their homes.

Vos said at least one resident of those eight were disabled, and the access was needed from the street. But his main objection, as he put it, was the city’s inability to foresee the consequences of putting in the new crosswalks.

“What I’m frustrated about and what I’m irritated about is that somebody didn’t do their homework,” Vos said. “Apparently, somebody didn’t look at what the situation was.

“I want to know why more thought wasn’t given initially.”

Mayor Bob Miller pointed out that when the crosswalks were originally proposed, there was some discussion regarding eliminating parking in that area. Jensen pointed out that the residents were sent letters last week notifying them of the city’s plan.

That didn’t sit well with Vos – and a number of other aldermen had issues as well.

Jeff Fischer wanted to know why city staff couldn’t define the area as strictly parking. The street is technically one lane, but with the street as wide as it is, the parking area tends to get used as a second lane in traffic backups.

Alderman Katie Simenson stressed the need for the crosswalks, and Miller added that the crosswalks on the streets have changed several times to adjust to students making their own rules, so to speak, on where to cross.

But when Miller offered to send the proposal back for further review if members of the council weren’t “fond of it,” Alderman Steve Rauch spoke up and said pointedly, “I’m not fond of it.”

The item is set to be discussed again at the Dec. 6 Committee of the Whole meeting.