Residents press council for fixes at Grandview crosswalk after lighting replacement and traffic changes

Residents of Grandview Square and nearby senior facilities urged the Edina City Council on July 15 to address pedestrian safety at a midblock crosswalk near Avador and the senior center and to restore street lighting removed during a recent light‑replacement project. Why it matters: speakers described older residents having to “flail their arms” to stop drivers, cars passing very close to pedestrians, and a dramatic loss of lighting after the city’s contractor removed several luminaires from the residents’ side of the street. One resident said she collected 133 petition signatures in under a week to request temporary traffic calming while a permanent fix is developed. At the meeting, Nancy Greer (5225 Grandview Square) told the council, “I shouldn’t have to flail my arms,” after describing cars that did not stop for crossing pedestrians. Neighbor David McBride said a truck passed “a foot or so” behind him while he was in the crosswalk. Jan Del Kelso, president of the Grandview Square homeowners association, said the recently completed decorative‑light replacement left the street “very, very dark” on the residents’ side and asked staff to restore lighting levels. City staff described interim and longer‑term measures. Director Miller said crews completed tree trimming and sight‑line work and installed advance warning signs; the contractor is installing a concrete base that will receive a new flashing pedestrian beacon and staff expects the base to be in place within a week. Miller said the city is exploring temporary speed cushions, but cautioned that higher traffic density from nearby interchange work reduces the chance that a temporary bump alone will change driver yielding behavior. Council members and staff discussed routing pedestrians to a fully controlled Vernon Avenue signal a short walk uphill as a safer option. Multiple council members asked staff to return quickly with a clear, short‑term plan — including whether temporary speed cushions can be used — and with an update on the lighting replacement plan and why luminaires were not reinstalled on the residents’ side. The council referred residents’ petitions to staff and asked for an update at the next meeting; staff said Manager Neal may publish a response as early as the following Friday and would return with a fuller plan within weeks.