Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Pedestrian Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fourth-grader asks Mount Carmel City to install pedestrian warning sign at Oak and Poplar
Summary
Fourth-grader Jonah Bisbee asked the city to place a button-activated pedestrian warning sign with a rapid flashing beacon at Oak and Poplar, citing safety concerns for schoolchildren and estimating equipment and labor costs. City staff said the device must be IDOT certified and that a traffic study may be required before installation.
Jonah Bisbee, a fourth grader at Mount Carmel grade school, addressed the council on Jan. 20 asking for a button-activated pedestrian warning sign with a rectangular rapid flashing beacon at the intersection of Oak Street and Poplar Street.
“I ride my bike to school almost every day… I get off worried that a car is going to hit me,” Jonah told the council, and he later presented a cost estimate for the unit: about $3,600 for the device, $210 for the pole and an estimated $10,000 in labor. Jonah said the beacon he described is solar powered and “button activated,” and he cited research figures that the device can reduce pedestrian crashes by about 47% and raise vehicle yielding rates to as much as 98%.
Mayor and staff thanked Jonah for the presentation and said they would follow up. The mayor noted that any roadside device must be certified by the Illinois Department of Transportation and that the city will need a traffic study completed within the past two years unless a valid study is already on file. Staff indicated the city’s crews could install the unit if those requirements are satisfied and asked Jonah to leave his written materials with the city for follow-up.
The council did not take an immediate vote on the request. City staff asked Jonah to provide the plan to Chief Peach or Mister Dallas and said they would investigate feasibility, certification requirements and cost implications before returning to the council with recommendations.
