Last week while working on this article about the pedestrian being hit on Cedar Springs Road, I requested some information on the Reagan Street crosswalk from the city of Dallas. This morning I heard back from Alex Wong, the city’s program manager for traffic field operations.
Wong confirmed that the embedded, pavement-level lights in the crosswalk had been out for some six months before the city replaced them on Feb. 14, to the tune of $5,400. Wong said the city had difficulty finding a vendor that supplies the lights, which can only be installed in optimal weather conditions.
Wong said it was at least the third time the city has replaced the embedded lights in the crosswalk since they were first installed four years ago at the request of then-Councilwoman Veletta Forsythe Lill. The Cedar Springs crosswalk is the only one in Dallas that utilizes the embedded lights. There once were similar crosswalks in Richardson and Plano, but Wong said he believes they’ve both been removed due to maintenance issues.
Wong said it’s unclear whether the city will continue to replace the embedded lights if they continue to fail so quickly, because it’s such a significant expense. But he said it’s not a major safety issue because the crosswalk is already marked by signs and lights on the side of the road.
I wonder if Mr. Wong even comes to the area to shop, eat, or even for entertainment. We thank the city for replacing the lights but the very day the lights were replaced later that night a patron from one of the establishment was hit by a driver. Who was not seen by anyone walking the streets that night, around midnight? I like to ask the Merchants Assoc. are they going to get involved in helping the patron who was at one of their places of business to help capture the person who hit one of their customer’s.
How about if the merchant assoc. put together a flyer and pass it out among the businesses and other patrons to see if they can find someone to come forward with information which can help the POLICE that they don’t want down there to help with the traffic patrol.
Mr. Wong this is your statement about the crosswalk “But he said it’s not a major safety issue because the crosswalk is already marked by signs and lights on the side of the road.â€
You got to be kidding me right?
Those embedded lights are a problem to maintain. Additionally, they give pedestrians an illusion of safety. There is not substitute for looking both ways before crossing the street.
The pavement lights are not any kind of legal or official signal, they are a courtesy. Mainly, they are the kind of thing that gets done when residents come up with demands.
My neighborhood has an excessive amount of speed bumps. All because of complaining residents who wanted to do something about traffic in the neighborhood. Now we have speed bumps, traffic and cars that get out of alignment because of chugging over the speed bumps.
Hardy, You can be my crossing guard any day.
I assume the reason we don’t have speed bumps on that intersection is because of the fire trucks? If this crosswalk is such a problem, why not just have a stop sign there?
While we’re at it, can someone please talk to the city about repaving the road or at least repainting the lines on the road?
The lines have been repainted on the road. I contacted the proper person at the city and they came out within 5 days to paint the crosswalks. All one has to do is go to the city website and file a request or call 311. In addition you can always shoot of an email to your city council rep, which is what I did, and be put in contact with the proper person.
A stop sign will never be placed at the crosswalk because it would back traffic up to the intersection of Cedar Springs and Throckmorton and the intersection would be come grid locked during rush hour traffic times and in the evenings on weekends.
Mr Wong is correct in saying that the crosswalk is marked by signs and lights. The problem is with the drivers that don’t think they need to be paying attention to signs and signals. Hence the stepped up traffic detail that many were bitching about in Oak Lawn. It was set up as one of many safety nets in the Oak Lawn area which also includes unmarked cars in the neighborhood. One cannot hit the flashing lights and then step immediately in the road with cars coming and expect them to stop. Pedestrians have rules to follow as well. Here is the statue in the state of Texas:
§ 552.003. PEDESTRIAN RIGHT-OF-WAY AT CROSSWALK. (a) The
operator of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian
crossing a roadway in a crosswalk if:
(1) no traffic control signal is in place or in
operation; and
(2) the pedestrian is:
(A) on the half of the roadway in which the
vehicle is traveling; or
(B) approaching so closely from the opposite half
of the roadway as to be in danger.
(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a pedestrian may not
suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and proceed into a
crosswalk in the path of a vehicle so close that it is impossible
for the vehicle operator to yield.
(c) The operator of a vehicle approaching from the rear of a
vehicle that is stopped at a crosswalk to permit a pedestrian to
cross a roadway may not pass the stopped vehicle.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
I am in no way saying that most of the problems lie with the pedestrian, as I sit and watch at that corner most of the problems lie with the drivers. Our safety in Oak Lawn cannot be placed 100% in the hands of the city or the police department, we too need to be thinking safe in the area, especially at night. Do not walk to your car alone if you’re parked on a side street. Write letters and talk to the Merchants Association and the bar owners in the area about stepping up private security. Tell them that if they have 3-4 security officers working that they shouldn’t all be standing in the same area talking. They should be split up and watching. They carry radios and can call for other help if they need it.
Some business owners wanted to gripe that business was down due to the traffic enforcement in the area. The current recession has a lot to do with business being down. Maybe a few people stayed away but I can tell you that it most likely wasn’t the ones who didn’t get tickets that stayed away.
We too, need to take safety in our own hands by being smart about how we move about the area. In addition you would be amazed at how many people have been robbed, had their cars broken into, or have had other problems and they just went home without calling 911 to report it. By not calling and waiting to file a report we are leaving the city with distorted figures.
It just came to my attention that the CSMA hired an architecture firm to design the Cedar Springs beautification, which will include road improvements on the strip. Does anyone know if the design will call for any alteration of the crosswalk? I guess we won’t have anything specific (less yet any drawings) before their March 20th fundraiser, but I’m curious if anyone knows.
Oh Mike… I have not received a ticket but I am staying away thanks to your request for an increase in traffic patrols. The recession has not affected me too much so far. I have made MY OWN DECISION to go elsewhere to eat and drink. If you REALLY cared about all of us, you would have been specific in requesting NIGHT patrols… not daytime traffic stings. Thanks for nothing.
ATTN: PISSED OFF DRIVERS
I understand your grief. I would be pissed if someone tried to stop me from having an important phone conversation about last night’s episode of American Idol. How dare they pull me over for not wearing my seatbelt. Don’t I still have the right to chose how I die? Damn that lady with the kid for crossing the street! Can’t she speed it up a lil so I can’t get to my important appointment at the nail salon.
I know your time is precious and this is an inconvenience for you. But I’m gonna tell you who police presence DURING THE DAY really affect. PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE AREA AND DON’T DRIVE. So while you’re driving pass the sketchy person at the corner of Cedar Springs and Throckmorton, sipping on your caramel frappucino, and blaring your music for everyone to hear, I’m walking pass that person. Your car is at Kroger and that person is now following me. You’re now at the Cedar Springs and Tollway and now I’m confronted by him. You’re now on the Tollway heading to your kushy pad in the suburbs and I’m being assaulted.
Oh by the way, there have been 2 assaults, 1 aggravated assault, 2 burglaries, 1 robbery, and 7 thefts in the area in the last 7 days and they were BEFORE 7 PM.
Deanna,
I do care about all of us, that’s the reason for the meeting with the city and police department. The crime at night, coupled with the fact that the speeding and dangerous crosswalks during the day and night were the reason for the meeting. Night patrols are in Cedar Springs. Night patrols are taking place in the area. Many of them in unmarked cars. As a matter of fact last night alone while at one of the restaurants for an hour and half we counted more than 8 passes of marked cars alone.
I don’t remember you being at the meeting, but those who were reminded me that I DID ask for and emphasized the need for night patrol. The traffic division closes down by sundown because of safety issues with motorbikes and the regular patrol division takes over. Also the requests that I made to repaint the crosswalks were handled in 6 days. My follow up for 4 months with the city resulted in the crosswalk lights being replaced.
Your decision to go elsewhere because of stepped up police presence is your decision, but most comments I’ve heard is that the police presence is appreciated. Thanks for the parking spot!
Oh, Your Welcome.
I live on Cedar Springs Tish. It’s not just the straight suburb people not thrilled with the increased traffic patrols. I am happy to have more cops PROTECTING us during the day but hiding behind bushes pulling over every other car… not just the ones truly endangering pedestrians is not helpful and it means that I’m taking my business elsewhere or cutting around the strip to get where I’m going.
If one drives safely and follows the laws of the road one doesn’t get a ticket and doesn’t care where the cops are. Unless they have warrants or unpaid tickets.