In an effort to reduce pedestrian accidents on the Southwest 62nd Boulevard crosswalk, the Gainesville Public Works Department installed flashing light signs to warn motorists of people crossing the road.
The signs, known in the traffic operations world as rectangular rapid flashing beacons, were installed last week, said Philip Mann, public works traffic operations manager.
They look like normal pedestrian-crossing signs, except the poles are equipped with light panels and buttons. The lights are activated when someone presses the button, and the lights keep flashing for a preset time, Mann said.
The signs were met with varying reactions from students living in the Woodlands of Gainesville and the Pavilion on 62nd apartment complexes near the crosswalk.
Zachary Lash, a 21-year-old UF history senior and Pavilion resident, said he thinks the signs will help increase safety when crossing the road. In February, Lash and another student were rushed to the hospital after they were hit by a car while crossing the road.
“It was the cheapest, quickest solution that they could find to make the crosswalk safer,” he said.
Alex Kindred agreed. However, the 21-year-old Santa Fe business sophomore and Woodlands resident said it’s been difficult to turn out of the complex because cars pile up at the road when the lights are flashing.
“It’s definitely safer for the people who do have to cross the street every day,” she said, “but it’s frustrating for the drivers.”
Pavilion resident Taylor Michael, a 20-year-old UF family, youth and community sciences junior, said she feels safer on the crosswalk but still takes her own precautions when crossing the road, a mindset Mann and the public works department are trying to promote.
“We’ve put all this infrastructure in to help protect the people that live in the apartment complexes,” Mann said. “Now we need them to use the crosswalk correctly to maximize their safety.”
Mann added that the department has requested Regional Transit System to explain how to use the signs to bus riders.
Commissioner Todd Chase, who called the city to take action on the crosswalk after Lash’s crash, agreed both drivers and pedestrians should be cautious at the intersection. However, he said, because the crosswalk falls in the middle of a block rather than at an intersection, it could be too dangerous to use.
“I think at some point there has to be some kind of a common sense, reasonable approach to balancing the safety of pedestrians with the convenience of pedestrians,” he said.
Contact Kathryn Varn at kvarn@alligator.org.
Newly installed flashing light signs are seen at the crosswalk on Southwest 62nd Boulevard. The signs alert drivers of crossing pedestrians.
