[Summit] Summit Digest, Vol 20, Issue 17

Wed Nov 15 13:52:05 UTC 2006

Wow - post one email and you can sure make a ruckus around here, i love it.

i have to agree with the fact that you often don't see crosswalks and 
pedestrians when in a car. i really try (lived in europe! know the sanctity 
of pedestrians and bikes!) and sometimes I miss them. i am hoping for some 
kind of other, otherwise-not-disturbing-to-residents, visual warning in 
addition to the simple paint on the road. A sign, or something. Not an 
expert in available options, but hopefully traffic control can suggest other 
options. thanks, everyone, for taking up the cause.  ellen

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <summit-request at sna.providence.ri.us>
To: <summit at sna.providence.ri.us>
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 4:35 PM
Subject: Summit Digest, Vol 20, Issue 17

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> Today's Topics:
>
>   1. Re: CROSSWALK (Bresler E)
>   2. Crosswalks (Jonathan Howard)
>   3. Re: Crosswalks (hennypenny at cox.net)
>   4. Re: Crosswalks (R. Emory Williamson-Lundberg)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2006 14:13:45 -0500
> From: "Bresler E" <breslerfamily at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Summit] CROSSWALK
> To: "Neighborhood Association" <Summit at sna.providence.ri.us>
> Message-ID:
> <d5595ab00611141113x2a169219r92224f5c3df94dd9 at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> I can't remember if that corner is wheel chair accessible yet, but I
> certainly hope they are in the process of doing that if it's not...  What
> good is doing all that accesibility work on the library if you can't get 
> to
> it????  But you never know.
>
> Sheesh.  I was in a wheel chair for 2 years (about 20 yrs ago) and I saw
> some doosies.  One adult education center registered me for a class, 
> telling
> me that they had a ramp. It WAS a perfectly servicable portable one, but
> they stored in a closet, inside! YOU HAD TO GO UP THE STEPS to ring the 
> bell
> to get them to bring it out. Shouting couldn't be heard. Despite my 
> regular
> class attendance schedule, it was never out there.  One windy, 20 degree 
> day
> no one else arrived at the same time, and I threw snowballs in
> frustration... and they threatened to ban me from the class.  (I asked for
> and received my money back.)
>
> I see the point about going to the light, but moving around with kids can 
> be
> well...,  most mom's appreciate shorter routes.  And some times of the day
> parking choices are quite limited.
>
> Elianna
>
> On 11/14/06, Francisco Lovera <pacolovera at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Good point Jessica,
>>
>> As a matter of fact, the MUTCD, which regulates all the traffic control
>> devices nationwide, recommends that a crosswalk should not be added to a
>> street if there is a signal nearby.  Also, if a crosswalk is added to the
>> roadway, it should comply with the ADA.  They will need to install 
>> handicap
>> ramps and detector pads as well.  I support the idea of a safe 
>> environment
>> to all elements of the road.
>>
>>
>>  Francisco J. Lovera
>>
>> ------------------------------
>> From: *"Jessica Jenner" <jessica.jenner at verizon.net>*
>> Reply-To: *jessica.jenner at verizon.net*
>> To: *"'Neighborhood Association'" <Summit at sna.providence.ri.us>*
>> Subject: *Re: [Summit] CROSSWALK*
>> Date: *Tue, 14 Nov 2006 09:22:47 -0500*
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>> Tue, 14 Nov 2006 08:22:52 -0600 (CST)*
>>
>> I am wondering why people can't walk to the light at Rochambeau and cross
>> there.  Or drive around the corner to park on the west side of Hope.  I
>> agree we don't want Hope Street to be a fast thoroughfare, but if we 
>> really
>> slow down cars through Hope, people may travel the side streets, or try 
>> to
>> avoid the neighborhood entirely.  Our commercial strip on Hope Street is
>> lovely, in my opinion, but I think it is still a little fragile.  It is
>> really hard to balance the needs of traffic and pedestrians, but I do 
>> think
>> pedestrians - even or maybe especially mothers with carriages - have to 
>> take
>> some responsibility for their own safety.
>>
>>  ------------------------------
>> *From:* summit-bounces at sna.providence.ri.us [mailto:
>> summit-bounces at sna.providence.ri.us] *On Behalf Of *Allan Tear
>> *Sent:* Monday, November 13, 2006 10:57 PM
>> *To:* Neighborhood Association
>> *Subject:* Re: [Summit] CROSSWALK
>>
>>  Elianna, thanks for taking this up with DPW. Although it ultimately
>> should be the decision of the traffic engineer, I think that a crosswalk
>> blinker would be advisable. Not sure what designs have been used in the 
>> past
>> here in Providence, but crosswalk blinkers usually stand at the side of 
>> the
>> road. The smarter ones flash only when pedestrians have entered the
>> crosswalk zone.
>>
>> My reasoning for this added precaution:
>>
>> - people are often looking ahead at this point of the street to the 
>> signal
>> at Rochambeau (going north) or taking off from the signal (going south) 
>> and
>> could use a notification that they need to focus on the crosswalk a mere
>> half block away
>>
>> - lots of the crossing traffic is parents with strollers, kids-in-tow, 
>> and
>> older folks, for whom the mad dash is more difficult.
>>
>> Best, Allan
>> 93 Lauriston
>>
>>
>> On 11/13/06, Bresler E <breslerfamily at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > Hello,
>> >  I got two emails back from John Nickelson,
>> >
>> > 1)   Certainly, we can review the installation of a X-walk if one did
>> > not exist prior to construction; the need for a flashing light at 
>> > Langham
>> > may be difficult to justify with a full signal already in place at Hope 
>> > and
>> > Rochambeau.
>> >
>> > I will ask the Traffic Engineer to review your X-walk request.
>> >
>> > jn
>> > 2)  The project engineer advises that, "We are installing a X-walk from
>> > the NE corner of Mayflower to the SW corner of Langham crossing Hope 
>> > Street
>> > as part of the 1R improvements"
>> >
>> > jn
>> > So things are already happening.  But do we want a blinking light???
>> >
>> > Elianna
>> > --
>> > If you would like to receive emailings for upcoming
>> > FISHEL BRESLER PERFORMANCES,
>> > email us at BreslersMusic at gmail.com & we'll include you.
>> > _______________________________________________
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>> >
>> > SNA Website: http://sna.providence.ri.us/
>> >
>> >
>>
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>>
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>
>
> -- 
> If you would like to receive emailings for upcoming
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2006 15:30:44 -0500
> From: Jonathan Howard <jon at ceffect.com>
> Subject: [Summit] Crosswalks
> To: summit at sna.providence.ri.us
> Message-ID: <6.0.1.1.2.20061114144631.02eef830 at mail.ceffect.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>
> First, thanks to Ellen and Elianna for their effective citizenship! No
> sooner of thought than done! I will add SNA's support by talking to our
> Councilman about it. Thanks for leading on this.
>
> On the topic of pedestrianism and traffic, there are a number of largely
> ignored "Stop for Pedestrians" signs along Hope (not by the library). If
> you have ever been to Northampton, Mass, you will note that traffic on
> their very wide main street stops the moment someone steps off a curb or
> even looks meaningfully across the street. It was not always so, but
> sometime in the 90s, I think, they put those folding Stop for Pedestrians
> in the center of the street. If a driver failed to stop they were loudly
> and publicly shamed on the spot, generally by some woman in Birkenstocks.
> You don't want that to happen twice. That cultural norm now applies in
> neighboring Amherst and has spread to even smaller towns in the valley. In
> much of Europe, the zebra crossing for pedestrians is sacred.
>
> Stopping for a pedestrian gives you a chance to take a deep breath and
> consider the true cosmic significance of your current auto trip to the
> universe. Not often is it more important than your elderly neighbor's
> journey to pick up her medications or a little girl in a tutu's trip to
> ballet lessons. Or any search fop a good book.
>
> So, I now stop whenever I notice a potential street crosser, especially
> along Hope Street and along Summit in front of the hospital. I've noticed
> that while most still don't, more drivers do stop more often now and
> especially at the corners where this seems to be becoming a locally
> expected custom, like at Hope and Fourth. Maybe we can start to change the
> culture even while we wait for a cross walk or blinking light, just by
> making a practice of voluntarily yielding to foot traffic at the library.
>
> Jon Howard
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2006 16:02:55 -0500
> From: <hennypenny at cox.net>
> Subject: Re: [Summit] Crosswalks
> To: summit at sna.providence.ri.us
> Message-ID:
> <31192318.1163538175070.JavaMail.root at eastrmwml04.mgt.cox.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
> Jonathan: This --
>
>> If a driver failed to stop they were loudly
>> and publicly shamed on the spot, generally by some woman in Birkenstocks.
>> You don't want that to happen twice.
>
> -- made me LAUGH OUT LOUD!
>
> Yes, I have been in Northampton.  :-)
>
> - Anne
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2006 16:34:21 -0500 (EST)
> From: "R. Emory Williamson-Lundberg" <emory at incumbent.org>
> Subject: Re: [Summit] Crosswalks
> To: Jonathan Howard <jon at ceffect.com>
> Cc: summit at sna.providence.ri.us
> Message-ID:
> <Pine.OSX.4.64-MacPine.0611141631040.19463 at pbfzb.turggb.ula>
> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
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>
> On Tue, 14 Nov 2006, Jonathan Howard wrote:
>
> # Stopping for a pedestrian gives you a chance to take a deep breath and
> # consider the true cosmic significance of your current auto trip to the
> # universe. Not often is it more important than your elderly neighbor's
> # journey to pick up her medications or a little girl in a tutu's trip to
> # ballet lessons. Or any search fop a good book.
>
> On the other hand, I see people once a day blow the new stop sign on Hope
> street.  And I only come to that sign 2 or 4 times a day.
>
> It is also a visibility issue.  When I'm on 2-wheels I can see over most
> vehicles and see people are trying to cross the street.  When I'm in a
> car, I frequently cannot see any pedestrians until they're in the street,
> and by then it is too late to be considerate, and my attentions focus on
> avoiding vehicular homicide indictments, not being neighborly.
>
>
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> End of Summit Digest, Vol 20, Issue 17
> ************************************** 