Crossing Main Street in Downtown Longmont in the middle of the block can sometimes feel like you are caught in a game of Frogger. On Tuesday, the city of Longmont and the Longmont Downtown Development Authority installed Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons at the mid-block pedestrian crossings in the 300, 400 and 500 blocks of Main Street.
Main Street is also Hwy 287 which means traffic can be heavy. Pedestrians who attempt to cross the street at the mid-block crossings can go unseen. Alternatively, pedestrians also step into the crossings without regard for traffic. Either scenario can be dangerous for all involved.
“The LDDA Board’s top priority is safety, understanding that almost every person is a pedestrian at some point of their trip to Downtown.” said Kimberlee McKee, executive director of the LDDA.
Flashing crossing beacons can result in “a vast increase in motorists yielding for pedestrians at marked crosswalks,” according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“Adding flashing lights to the mid-block crossings gets us closer to achieving our vision that access to Downtown is easy, safe and low stress for people living, working or visiting by any form of transportation,” McKee said.
