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Commission receives multiple pedestrian-safety requests; staff recommends counts and crosswalks pending Shipyard/Mason redevelopment
Summary
Requests for rapid flashing beacons and pedestrian enhancements at 3rd & South Ashland and at 8th/9th on South Broadway were received and placed on file; staff said an RFB at the 3rd/Ashland location is not recommended now and that pedestrian counts and incremental crosswalks should be used while redevelopment proceeds.
Several neighborhood representatives requested pedestrian-safety treatments — including rapid flashing beacons (RFBs) and RFP-style pick-up/drop-off lanes — at crossings used by children near Tank Park and 8th Street Park. Charles Knight asked for an RFB at 3rd and South Ashland; Tyrone Knight and others requested interventions at 8th/9th on South Broadway.
Traffic staff advised caution. On the 3rd/Ashland request staff said RFBs have limitations where signal timing and interconnectivity matter, and that the location is a high-speed, multi-lane corridor where the city discourages at-grade crossings. On 9th staff noted it is a four-way stop, making an RFB redundant. For the 8th request staff recommended pedestrian counts (12-hour observations, typically taken in better weather) and suggested that short-term incremental options such as marked continental crosswalks could be deployed while waiting for longer-term redevelopment (Shipyard, Merge projects and a planned fire station) that will change pedestrian volumes.
Tom said staffing shortages delay counts and that a formal study requires multiple 3‑hour observation blocks; staff offered to place the requests on file, monitor changes from upcoming development and, when warranted, return with a study and recommended installations. The commission voted to receive and place the pedestrian-safety requests on file.
