Public works outlines crosswalk safety standards; council seeks fuller review after hit-and-run

Eden Prairie public works staff on Sept. 2 told the city council the department follows data-driven pedestrian-crossing standards adopted in 2023 and outlined immediate and longer-term options after a recent hit-and-run at a crosswalk near Pheasant Woods Park. Public Works Director Ellis said the city has 388 marked crosswalks and about 5,200 intersections. The council adopted pedestrian-treatment guidelines in 2023 that consider vehicle speed, vehicle and pedestrian volumes, pedestrian demographics (children, elderly or disabled count double), presence of schools/parks/transit and number of lanes. Those criteria determine whether higher-cost treatments such as rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFBs) are warranted. Ellis said the Mitchell Road/Chestnut intersection — the site of the recent hit-and-run — was last evaluated in 2022 and under current standards would warrant a marked crosswalk with roadside warning signs and in-road pedestrian crossing markers, treatments that are already in place. He said RRFBs typically are recommended where speed is posted 40–45 mph, three or more lanes exist, or traffic volumes are much higher (for example, about 12,000 vehicles per day versus the 6,700 counted in 2022). An RRFB costs roughly $40,000 to install. As immediate measures, Ellis proposed adding high-retroreflectivity fluorescent sheeting to existing signs and an advanced northbound warning sign to improve daytime and nighttime visibility; he said those items have been ordered and can be installed quickly. The council asked Ellis to return at a future meeting with a systemwide review that would identify intersections that meet RRFB or other enhanced-treatment criteria, and to include crash-history criteria as an option for prioritization.