Crosswalk to improve pedestrian safety

The Traffic Commission supported the BPNA’s request for a multi-way stop and a pedestrian striped crosswalk at the intersection of Allen and Henderson Streets to safeguard pedestrians crossing Henderson into Bryan Park or onto the sidewalk. As part of their process, they sent City engineer Justin Wyckoff to examine the situation and make a recommendation.

BPNA’s president Jan Sorby says, “Henderson has a posted 20 mph speed limit. Justin Wykoff did a traffic study at the intersection which showed that only 3% of drivers observed the limit. He clocked cars passing this school/park zone at speeds as high as 57 mph. The Traffic Commission was so shocked at the horrendous speeds they requested Justin to come up with something different than just a stop sign.”

The drawing above shows the solution to slowing traffic on this stretch of Henderson. It adds an island dividing the lanes of traffic and providing a protected space midway where pedestrians can stand if on-coming traffic prevents them from completing the crossing. (Parents with children have been known to drive three blocks to the park rather than attempt crossing on foot with a toddler and a stroller, Sorby points out.)

On either side of the cross walk at midpoint is a planter for vegetation, which neighbors have promised to tend. The strategy is to make the space look and feel narrower to drivers so that they drive more carefully.

This drawing also shows the realignment of the Bryan Park parking lot entrance with Allen St. and the new sidewalk on the western side of Henderson, a future improvement. Currently the only sidewalk on this stretch of Henderson borders Bryan Park and continues south to Templeton Elementary School. Crossing Henderson is particularly dangerous during the peak hours when children need to walk to school.

Missing from this drawing are the stop signs to be added on the approaches to the crosswalk. In order to implement what the Traffic Commission has approved, there is a formality to satisfy. City ordinance requires a certain level of traffic to warrant putting a stop sign on a street. Traffic on Henderson exceeds that level, but traffic on Allen and out of the parking lot normally falls below that level.

As a result, District 5 City Council Member Isabel Piedmont is expected to introduce the multi-way stop request as an amendment to the ordinance when City Council meets on June 25 or July 2, as the schedule permits. City Council will vote on it at the next meeting. Bryan Park neighbors and other city residents will have an opportunity to provide input on the request at the first meeting.

Source: BPNA Newsletter, June 2008

Proposed pedestrian crossing at Henderson and Allen Streets

Hi Neighbors,

I am including a drawing of the proposed pedestrian crossing at Henderson and Allen Streets. I need to gather feedback to submit to Justin Wyckoff by next week, May 6th. The more in-put we gather is better. This pedestrian crossing will be installed when Parks and Recreation re-aligns Bryan Park parking lot entrance with Allen Street, hopefully this spring. We hope to see the crossing with vegetation, which neighbors have said they will tend.

The idea is to give pedestrians a safe crossing to the park and sidewalks. The Traffic Commission supported our request for a pedestrian crossing with a stop sign, but also wanted to slow traffic on Henderson. Justin Wyckoff did a traffic study at the intersection which showed speeds as high as 57 MPH in this school/park zone. The Traffic Commission was so shocked at the horrendous speeds they requested Justin to come up with something different than just a stop sign. The drawing below is the results.

Jan
President
Bryan Park Neighborhood Association

Pedestrian crossing proposal: comments wanted

Hi Neighbors,

I am including a drawing of the proposed pedestrian crossing at Henderson and Allen Streets. I need to gather feedback to submit to Justin Wyckoff by next week, May 6^th. The more in-put we gather is better. This pedestrian crossing will be installed when Parks and Recreation re-aligns Bryan Park parking lot entrance with Allen Street, hopefully this spring. We hope to see the crossing with vegetation, which neighbors have said they will tend.

The idea is to give pedestrians a safe crossing to the park and sidewalks. The Traffic Commission supported our request for a pedestrian crossing with a stop sign, but also wanted to slow traffic on Henderson. Justin Wyckoff did a traffic study at the intersection which showed speeds as high as 57 MPH in this school/park zone. The Traffic Commission was so shocked at the horrendous speeds they requested Justin to come up with something different than just a stop sign. The drawing above is the results.

Jan Sorby

President

Bryan Park Neighborhood Association

BPNA Letter to Traffic Commission Regarding Multi-Way Stop on Henderson

525 E. Grimes Lane, Bloomington, IN 47401. 812-334-2075

February 14, 2008

The Bryan Park Neighborhood Association (BPNA) is requesting a multi-way stop and a pedestrian stripped crosswalk at the intersection of Allen Street and Henderson Street, located on the west edge of Bryan Park.

One of our neighborhood’s best assets is Bryan Park, yet at this time there is no safe means for residents to cross Henderson to access the park or to simply use the sidewalks located on the east side of Henderson. Currently east/west bound pedestrian crossings are scatted among the four streets dead ending into Bryan Park. If a safe multi-way stop and crossing walk is built pedestrians will gravitate to this area producing predictable patterns for all. Vehicular traffic is extremely heavy on Henderson. Crossing Henderson is particularly dangerous during the peak hours when children need to walk to school and many desire to make use of the park. Countless pedestrians use the paths through the park to go to IU, Templeton Elementary and Bloomington South. The beautiful riparian path along Bryan stream is popular with seniors and dog walkers.

For many years the BPNA, parents and neighbors have sought a safe means to cross Henderson from the west entering Bryan Park or simply to use the sidewalk. The BPNA neighbors are excited about the proposed sidewalk on the west side of Henderson Street and making Allen Street an east/west multimodal corridor. This is a start to remediate decades of neglected infrastructure concerns in our neighborhood. Little attention has been given to the needs the 750+ households in the Bryan Park area. With access to only four streets that have sidewalks and controlled storm water systems (Washington, Lincoln, parts of Grimes and parts of Henderson) we have a unique opportunity to locate improvements at the most optimal place for all.

We are pleased that the Bryan Park parking lot and Allen Street will soon be realigned as this will create safer traffic patterns for vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians. Allen Street is centrally located north and south along the west edge of the park. Other developments that make BPNA eager to establish a safe multi-way crossing at this time are: the current redevelopment of the children’s playground in Bryan Park at Allen Street, Safe Routes to School initiative, and the Greenways trail. We strongly feel this is the time to create a safe multi-way stop with pedestrian crosswalk on Henderson. A safe multi-way stop with a cross walk is an amenity that will carefully channel pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular traffic. Additionally, it will also allow neighbors to safely reach our best asset, Bryan Park and use the sidewalk.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Jan Sorby
President,
Bryan Park Neighborhood Association

$250,000 Safe Routes to School Grant

11/15/07--The City of Bloomington received a $250,000 grant to build a sidewalk along the west side of Henderson St., from Allen St. to Hillside Dr. and the crossing to Templeton School. The grant comes from Safe Routes to School, a new program in the federal transportation bill, SAFETEA –LU. The goal of the program is to reverse the 30 year decline in the numbers of children walking to school and reintroduce opportunities for regular physical activity by improving conditions for bicycling and walking to school.

Edgewood High School in Elletsville also received a $250,000 grant. The combined value of the two grants in Monroe County equals 25% of the total awarded statewide—a showing that Justin Wykoff, Engineering Services Manager with the City of Bloomington, describes as “spectacular.”

Wykoff thanked the neighborhood association, parents, and school officials for their hard work, which contributed to the success of the Safe Routes application. The grant will supply two-thirds of the funding needed to complete the Henderson St. sidewalk project. An application is in process for a Community Development Block Grant to bring in the remaining funding.