Politics & Government
Traffic Engineer Recommends Against Flashing Signal At SOM Horse Crossing
In a memo to the safety committee, Traffic Engineer Kevin Westbrook recommends against installing flashers at a crossing at SOM Center Road and Hawthorne Parkway.
For months, city officials and interested residents have been debating whether a system of flashing lights at a popular horse and pedestrian crossing near the Metroparks would make the crossing safer.
But now Traffic Engineer Kevin Westbrooks, who came up with the idea for flashing lights to warn cars of pedestrians, is recommending against installing the crossing, saying it would could cause a bigger problem.
In a memo to safety committee chairman Bill Russo, Westbrooks said he still feels flashing lights are the best engineering option available but that "it does not solve the problem or perceived problem."
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One concern is that the crossing lights would not fix the perceived problem of drivers not paying attention. The other concern is that the flashers, which would not give horse riders the right-of-way, might give riders a false sense of security and cause a more dangerous situation than there already is.
"After much consideration, I cannot recommend the installation of this crossing," Westbrooks writes in the memo.
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Last summer, a number of horse-riding enthusiasts told Solon's safety committee they were , city officials have been to improve the perceived safety of the crossing. Residents say that drivers are too distracted and driving too fast, and that an accident seems inevitable.
But the data says otherwise: There's never been a recorded crash at the intersection, and informal counts by officers don't show a problem, said Police Chief Chris Viland.
Riders have said they wanted a traffic light, but Traffic Engineer Kevin Westbooks said the intersection doesn't warrant a light.
Instead, Westbrooks came up with the idea of creating a series of flashing lights that would be activated by a rider or walker so that cars driving up and down SOM Center would be alerted that someone was using the crosswalk.
That solution would cost an . The Metroparks have , and also combine the two crossings into one.
While now recommending against the flashers, Westbrooks did recommend combining the two crossings.
The matter is scheduled to be discussed by the safety committee at 6 p.m. Wednesday at .
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