Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Pedestrian Safety Crosswalks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council directs staff to install marked crosswalk at Foxglove Drive intersection
Summary
Minnetrista leaders directed staff to install a marked crosswalk at the Foxglove Drive–Woodland Cove Boulevard intersection, add advance signage and monitor its use for three months, council members said at a work session April 7.
Minnetrista Mayor Lisa Webb and the city council on April 7 directed staff to install a marked crosswalk at the Foxglove Drive–Woodland Cove Boulevard intersection, add advance signage and monitor usage for three months, officials said at a work session.
The measure responds to resident safety concerns and the intersection’s proximity to a neighborhood park and a pedestrian trail, Mayor Lisa Webb said. "I would like to see us install, at least 1 crosswalk by the ... Foxglove Drive Intersection," Webb said during the meeting.
Council members and staff described the action as a low-cost safety improvement that will be pilot-tested before the city considers similar installations elsewhere. City public works director Gary Peters provided cost estimates: about $1,000 to stripe and stencil a crosswalk initially and roughly $500 per year for maintenance; two pedestrian warning signs would add roughly $1,000. Council members noted Administrator Jennifer Hrugel has limited spending authority and that, under that threshold, staff can proceed without returning the item to a formal council meeting.
Police leadership consulted during the discussion said they could not identify a clear downside to the crosswalk but emphasized enforcement and visibility would be important. City staff also noted that state pedestrian-right-of-way rules can apply even where crosswalks are unmarked, and that a marked crosswalk primarily adds visual notice for drivers.
Council members asked staff to install the crosswalk on the west side of the intersection (where existing sidewalks connect), post advance "crosswalk ahead" signs and report back to the council with observations after three months of monitoring. The council did not adopt a formal ordinance or set a final budget line; the direction was given as staff guidance at the work session.
Next steps: staff will schedule installation under the administrator’s spending authority, install advance signage, and return to the council with monitoring results in about three months.
