Residents Group successfully advocates for first solar-powered crosswalk flashers

By Anthony King | SDUN Editor

After several years of dedicated lobbying and planning, a new pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Spruce Street in Bankers Hill has been installed, making access to Balboa Park easier – and safer – for all.

The crosswalk utilizes the City’s first pedestrian-activated, solar-powered flashing lights, which are turned on by the push of a button. Flashing lights embedded into the new ladder-style crosswalk are designed to warn oncoming drivers of those walking across the street.

Interim Mayor Todd Gloria joined residents Sept. 16 to inaugurate the crosswalk, bringing attention to both the collaborative process in making the improvements a reality and the importance of pedestrian safety.

“I want San Diego to be a walkable city, and the new crosswalk flashers add another element of safety and encourage active transportation,” Gloria said in a press release.

The Bankers Hill Residents Group spearheaded the project, with steering committee member Jim Frost taking the lead by coordinating with the City on the crosswalk and lights, the group’s website said. In June, Frost joined other residents by helping with a “crossing count” at Sixth Avenue and Spruce Street, in part to “demonstrate how difficult it is to cross,” they said.

“The project was a great effort spearheaded by the Bakers Hill Residents Group, who formed an alliance with City staff, [Gloria’s] office and the Uptown Community Parking District’s Bankers Hill committee to bring it to a reality,” said Nancy Moors, a Bankers Hill resident and community activist.

The Parking District funded the new crosswalk, which leads directly to a children’s play area. New play equipment was installed in March 2012, increasing pedestrian traffic to the west side of Balboa Park.

“This is an area that leads to the newly renovated children’s playground and is a hazard for anyone to cross, let alone parents with small children,” the Residents Group website said.

The City’s Comprehensive Pedestrian Crossing Policy states pedestrians are at “more risk” than motorists, and was designed in part to lessen that risk through education, enforcement and “good community planning.”

The policy says flashing beacons similar to those installed in the new crosswalk are considered “progressive choices” in mitigating accidents: at the time the policy was adopted, pedestrian accidents accounted for a disproportionate percent of all city-wide traffic deaths.

In a study conducted for the New Jersey Department of Transportation in 2002, researches discovered that drivers yield to pedestrians 80 percent more frequently when pavement flashers are activated. The report also found motorists approached crosswalks similar to the one installed on Sixth Avenue at slower speeds.

The Bankers Hill Residents Group also successfully advocated for the removal of the vehicle right-turn lane onto Sixth Avenue from the northbound Interstate 5 exit, and members are looking to have stop signs installed on First Avenue at Spruce and Juniper streets.

They are also encouraging residents to report accidents in the neighborhood to the City, regardless of Police Department or private insurance company involvement. A page on the group’s website has been set up to monitor accidents, including a link to file accident reports.

The Residents Group meets monthly on the top floor of the Inn at the Park, located at 525 Spruce St. Following the crosswalk celebration Sept. 16, Sen. Marty Block spoke at their meeting regarding proposed routes of the Uptown Bike Corridors project.

Their next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m. For more information visit bankershillresidents.org.