KCRag Forum

KCPowercat wrote: Woohooo

don't get too excited. i doubt this will involve a massive changeover, more like "we'll adjust it if we're touching the signal for a more important reason". but it does indicate an acknowledgement of pedestrian issues. this policy is a direct result of this forum barraging the council last year over the downtown ped crossing debacle.

let's wait until we see those "certain criteria."  based on earlier discussion and a draft policy that was circulated six weeks ago, my impression is that most streets busy enough to need a traffic signal probably will be exempt from the automatic walk signal policy.  catch 22.

DaveKCMO wrote:public works has a new policy that requires a pedestrian walk signal appear automatically at all intersections, city-wide, unless they meet certain criteria. once the policy is made public, i'll post it.

there is also a new part of the development code that allows creation of a pedestrian overlay, which gives neighborhoods greater leeway in how such things are managed. no one has initiated an overlay yet, so i plan to make the crossroads the first.

Was this policy ever made public? I was contacting 311 concerning the new Broadway bridge over 670 lights not changing and was going to reference this policy if possible.

not made public, but if you want to PM me i will bring it up in a forum where action will be taken. please contact 311 as well.

I did put into 311....thanks!

Rise in fatal pedestrian accidents worries Missouri officials

“After just nine months in 2011, the number of pedestrian traffic deaths is nearly equal to those experienced in 2010,” reports the Missouri Department of Transportation. “In fact, during the first quarter of 2011, 21 pedestrian deaths were recorded, compared to nine during the same period in 2010.”

I still wish that the pedestrian signals on the Plaza would cycle automatically rather than requiring a button press. A city should assume there are pedestrians waiting to cross. They assume there are automobiles...

I think automatic pedestrian signals would help. Not a lot of people press the button, and when they do, they don't always wait.

AllThingsKC wrote:I think automatic pedestrian signals would help. Not a lot of people press the button, and when they do, they don't always wait.

And with the new signals sometimes if you press the button it will cycle if there is enough time left...further adding to the confusion as people stand on the corner when they could be crossing, if only they'd pressed the button.

A school crossing guard was killed last Friday near Van Brunt and 7th Street on his way to work at St. John and Elmwood.

I used to see this guy regularly on the No. 30 bus when I was headed downtown.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/11/32 ... kills.html

enough wrote:i think this point came up months ago, but as the city continues to install the new illuminated street name signs on traffic signal mast arms, if you're a pedestrian walking against the flow of motorized traffic on a one-way street you won't see street name signs for the cross streets.

that was december 9, 2010.

this shouldn't even be an issue any more -- it should have been rectified long ago.

anyway, i raised the issue at the city's parking and wayfinding subcommittee meeting today. chairman glover said it was a good comment, and rick usher is supposed to look into it -- though rick's initial response was that the city is really short of money and can't afford to install any new street name signs.

meanwhile, it was reported at the meeting that the city will spend $1.1m on new wayfinding signs, with the contract to be let within six weeks. some of those signs are supposed to be for pedestrians.

I saw some tourists struggling with that just last week. Why can't we reuse some of the old green signs more at the pedestrian level at these one way locations?

Let's hope some of those new wayfinding signs are kiosk type hubs at high traffic locations.

councilman glover told me yesterday he has conveyed the concern about street name signs on one-way streets to the full parking and transportaton commission.

Nice day out so decided to take a stroll through Quality Hill and Broadway corridor. Quality Hill always impresses me and has a nice quaint feel to it. Broadway on the other hand is horrible in some locations, especially between 9th and 10th streets. What a wasteland. Absolutely no trees, planters, benches, nothing except crumbling sidewalks. I can't believe the city hasn't made this a focus. It's pretty embarassing. Several buildings closed and boarded up. Maybe if it was more attractive there wouldn't be any vacancies

http://bikewalkkc.org/content/city-seek ... k-policies

The City of KCMO is seeking public input on its crosswalks policies. The City's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) will dedicate its January 14th meeting to a staff presentation on current policies, public input and suggestions, and discussion of possible recommendations for future policies. You are invited to share your thoughts, concerns, and ideas about City crosswalk policies.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Monday, January 14th, 4:00 pm. to 5:30 p.m.
City Hall, 10th Floor Hearing Room
414 East 12th Street
(allow time to go through security at City Hall)

$5000 fine for failure to yield...and diagonal crosswalks throughout Downtown/xroads.

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pash wrote:Diagonal crosswalks? Why?

Because they promote pedestrian travel, both functionally and, I would argue, psychologically. Plus they are cheap, cost little political capital, and they work.

http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/05/20/s ... ety-fixes/
these anywhere there's a parking row ending, not just at crosswalks. at crosswalks they give pedestrians a shorter crossing distance which is nice. by being a physical control you can put them mid block in places like Broadway where you have lanes weaving back and forth because of parking and help stop illegal parking
they're also a form of speed control. most people don't like to speed through tight spaces and this causes a virtual bunching up of the road at every crossing spot. it's the next best thing to actually making the lane skinnier.

more trees. I saw one thing that said trees in a tight pattern makes it feel like you're going too fast, being close they move by quickly, which helps people naturally slow down.


I like diagonal crosswalks in lighter used areas, on Main or Grand they'd just add time for everyone because it messes with the light cycles. you can combine a pedestrian cycle with each light cycle with straight crosswalks. with diamond it is it's own portion of the light cycle.

basically, anything that's not a major through street should get them. Wyandotte and Central downtrown would be good candidates.