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Resident raises safety concerns at College Drive crosswalk; council asks staff to audit signage
Summary
A Casper resident told the City Council that the push‑button pedestrian warning beacons and a lack of posted speed limits near College Drive and Ash Street were unsafe for children; the council directed the city manager to audit signage and compare it with MUTCD standards.
A Casper resident told the City Council on May 6 that crosswalks on College Drive near Ash Street are unsafe for children, prompting councilors to direct city staff to audit signage and pedestrian controls.
Ryan King, a Casper resident, said his family has "some small children, with bikes and scooters," and that the pedestrian beacons at College Drive now operate as small yellow flashers activated by a push button. "We really can't rely on those crosswalks at all," King told the council, saying drivers frequently do not stop and that cars crest a downhill stretch at speed.
King offered options used elsewhere in Casper as potential fixes, including a push‑button traffic signal that forces a red light and speed tables to calm traffic. He also said there are no speed‑limit signs on a roughly 1.3–1.4 mile stretch between Poplar Street and the drop toward Ash Street that would otherwise remind motorists of the 30 mph default.
Councilor Jensen, who said she had worked at Casper College and was familiar with the corridor, thanked King for raising the concern. The council asked the city manager to assess appropriate signage and compare the existing controls to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
City Manager Jay Carter Napier told the council, "what I would recommend is we do basically a general audit of the area with regard to appropriate signage and compare it to what the MUTCD requires and evaluate what we can do to help improve that situation." The mayor asked King to provide contact details so staff could follow up.
Councilors suggested possible near‑term steps, such as relocating or adding speed‑limit signage at nearby park accesses, evaluating the lighting and visibility of the crosswalks and considering a signalized push‑button or other active crossing treatments where pedestrian volumes justify them. City staff committed to staying in touch with King about next steps.
The council did not take formal action at the meeting but directed staff to report back after the audit.
