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Committee presses for interim fixes at dangerous downtown crosswalks as larger Envision plan stalls
Summary
Members urged the town to pursue short‑term crosswalk safety measures for Maple Street and other downtown crossings while acknowledging the larger Envision redesign likely won’t be built for years.
The committee returned to a recurring topic: downtown crosswalk safety. Members said several crosswalks — especially Maple Street and one near the Great Plain/Mark Tree Road area — remain hazardous and are currently protected in some places only by temporary Jersey barriers.
Committee members said the long‑range Envision downtown redesign that could permanently reconfigure lanes and crossings is unlikely to be funded and constructed within the next several years. Given that timeline, members pressed staff to identify short‑term, lower‑cost countermeasures that could be implemented within a year to improve pedestrian safety at the most dangerous crossings.
Options discussed included removing a parking space to improve sight lines, targeted paint/geometry changes, temporary pilot installations, higher‑visibility signs or in‑house design concepts for two priority crosswalks (Maple and a downtown location near Great Plain). Staff noted the political sensitivity of removing parking and said short‑term designs should be framed as safety improvements.
Members suggested using Chapter 90 funds or other town funding for interim improvements; staff said some work can be phased and that the design consultant already working on the broader downtown project could be asked for short‑term crosswalk concepts as part of its contract. Committee members recommended inviting Karis (planning/design lead) to a future meeting to discuss short‑term crosswalk options and how they would tie into the Envision project.
No final decisions were made; the committee directed staff to pursue short‑term design options for the two priority crosswalks and to seek a future meeting with the planning team.
