Making downtown more pedestrian friendly

[KCPowercat]

I have been nearly hit by motorist turning right on red all over town because they are looking at oncoming traffic and not people who may be in the intersection crossing legally with the light. 

That is one of my top 10 annoyances walking downtown that I posted in my blog

[DaveKCMO]

I know many of you already know this, but prepare for the nay-sayers on this forum who will lose their nut when Wayne Cauthen fires the head of public works, amongst many others.

based on how gagnon replies to some of the watchdog queries, he should be fired.

[enough]

get the city council to declare that all downtown streets should be managed as a people-first zone, then hold the cm and pw director accountable for making it so.  (>then< expand the people-first zone to encompass the entire city.)

[DaveKCMO]

get the city council to declare that all downtown streets should be managed as a people-first zone, then hold the cm and pw director accountable for making it so.  (>then< expand the people-first zone to encompass the entire city.)

it would be good to see the city actually embrace things they learn on retreats to portland.

[DaveKCMO]

they really need to consider a traffic signal at 16th or 17th on grand. with all of that new activity, someone is bound to get hit crossing the street there. it should be pedestrian-activated, like the mid-block crossing at the arena.

[LenexatoKCMO]

it would be good to see the city actually embrace things they learn on retreats to portland.

You assume they are actually paying attention to the transit, bike lanes, fancy parking meter systems, etc., rather than just enjoying the good seafood and beer?

[aknowledgeableperson]

Here is an article you folks may like.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/186875

As the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg usually takes the subway to work. When he travels by car, a police escort zips him through rush-hour congestion. But for a man who himself spends little time mired in Manhattan's inch-along, horn-chorused gridlock, Bloomberg seems oddly obsessed by traffic—and as a committed environmentalist, he aims to do something to reduce it. "The midtown traffic mess is one of those problems everyone always talks about," he said last week. "Well, we're not just going to sit back—we're going to try to do something about it." His plan: to permanently bar traffic from large swaths of Broadway.

[KCPowercat]

Speaking of non-pedestrian friendly.  The city redesigned 10th street streetscape between Broadway and Wyandotte.....torn down and put up new traffic signals at Central.  Except they just put up the same old signals still without pedestrian signals at all....WTF?  How did that get past the new traffic signal designs? 


Everybody I show that you have to push the button to get a walk sign says that might be the dumbest thing they've seen in awhile.

[DaveKCMO]

Speaking of non-pedestrian friendly.  The city redesigned 10th street streetscape between Broadway and Wyandotte.....torn down and put up new traffic signals at Central.  Except they just put up the same old signals still without pedestrian signals at all....WTF?  How did that get past the new traffic signal designs? 


Everybody I show that you have to push the button to get a walk sign says that might be the dumbest thing they've seen in awhile.

email russ. i did. i'm about to partake in some civil disobedience on these fucking buttons.

[KCPowercat]

Funny, last week I joked at the same thing. Good thing my condo doesn't have room to store a sledgehammer.

[scooterj]

Early yesterday evening one of my co-workers had to slam his hand against the sides of 3 different vehicles that all turned left, cutting him off, after he was already in the crosswalk making his way across 12th Street.    These buttons have got to go.    They make drivers feel like they can do whatever they want.

[PumpkinStalker]

Early yesterday evening one of my co-workers had to slam his hand against the sides of 3 different vehicles that all turned left, cutting him off, after he was already in the crosswalk making his way across 12th Street.    These buttons have got to go.    They make drivers feel like they can do whatever they want.

I admit that I have done this too!  Makes you want to carry a pocket full of rocks to throw.

[DaveKCMO]

how much cost do these buttons add to a new signal? i'd like to show that to deb herman.

[KC-wildcat]

Am I the only person who has never had an issue crossing a street in this City?  My God.  I walk the streets of DTKC five - six days a week, and I have never paid an ounce of attention to these buttons.  When the light turns red and traffic stops, I cross the street.  When there are no cars, I cross the street.  When I see a car barreling down the street, I stay on the sidewalk.  What am I missing? 

[KCPowercat]

The point isn't how difficult it is...like you, most here find it easy...but we do have a lot of people now downtown that aren't familiar. The having to push buttons to be 'allowed' to walk is unnecessary and unfriendly to pedestrians.

Its funny googling pedestrian walk buttons...this is a pretty hotly debated area in many cities.

[KC-wildcat]

The point isn't how difficult it is...like you, most here find it easy...but we do have a lot of people now downtown that aren't familiar. The having to push buttons to be 'allowed' to walk is unnecessary and unfriendly to pedestrians.

I guess I've just never really paid that much attention to them.  I assumed these buttons were pretty universal.  No?  Won't you find crosswalk buttons at most intersections?   

In any event, if pedestrians are confused by how to use a crosswalk button, then the crosswalk buttons should probably be removed.  But, why are pedestrians confused by something so seemingly simple?

[LenexatoKCMO]

I guess I've just never really paid that much attention to them.  I assumed these buttons were pretty universal. 

Not in dense, pedestrian-oriented, urban areas.  If you walk around DT Chicago, NY, Portland, etc. - the pedestrian walk signal is just automatically included as part of the light cycle.  If you are anticipating steady pedestrian traffic, there is no reason for anyone to have to push a button - just have the walk cycle included every time.  The only justification for making people push a button is if you anticipate sparse pedestrian traffic and want to give priority to the automobile portion of the cycle unless there is a pedestrian there.

It may seem like a trivial detail but is sets the tone you are establishing for your city - do you want to preserve as much priority as possible for the automobile, or do you want to assume that your streets will receive steady use by pedestrians and accomodate them in every cycle? 

[KC-wildcat]

Not in dense, pedestrian-oriented, urban areas.  If you walk around DT Chicago, NY, Portland, etc. - the pedestrian walk signal is just automatically included as part of the light cycle.  If you are anticipating steady pedestrian traffic, there is no reason for anyone to have to push a button - just have the walk cycle included every time.  The only justification for making people push a button is if you anticipate sparse pedestrian traffic and want to give priority to the automobile portion of the cycle unless there is a pedestrian there.

Gotcha.  Yeah, this all makes sense. 

[LenexatoKCMO]

There are still some intersections downtown that really do only receive very sparse pedestrian traffic so perhaps the buttons MIGHT make sense there.  But it is absolutely inexcusable that they would create a seven block entertainment district that is intended to be highly pedestrian oriented, yet equip all of the new lights with the system that is intended to facilitate rapid automobile through traffic instead of pedestrian flow. 

[DaveKCMO]

even in charlotte, the pedestrian gets an automatic 40 seconds to cross trade street in uptown (their CBD). it's only four lane widths! there are even some places in the world where there is a pedestrian-only part of the cycle where ALL drivers get a red and ALL pedestrians get a walk signal in every direction.

by contrast, a pedestrian at grand and pershing must cross six lanes AND a landscaped median in 30 seconds (try it sometime with a few kids in tow). and now, every pedestrian in our CBD must press a button before their green cycle starts to get a walk signal.