Three Village intersections have been identified as needing new or redone crosswalks.
A request for crosswalk paint and curb extensions led the La Jolla Traffic & Transportation Board to list three intersections in The Village where greater crosswalk visibility is needed.
The item, heard Dec 17 as a discussion item only without formal action, stemmed from a resident’s proposal to create curb extensions on Prospect Street at its north- and southwest corners with Fay Avenue and add new crosswalks at the south and east crossings.
The request came because the resident, who did not appear at the Dec 17 meeting, “is concerned about the safety of people crossing at that particular section; he sees cars running the stop sign,” T&T Chair Erik Gantzel said.
The northeast crossing of Prospect at Fay, Gantzel said, which has no markings at all, is becoming more and more “heavily used” now with more businesses going in near Better Buzz and Spiro’s.
Curb extensions, also called curb bulb-outs, are used to enhance pedestrian safety as they provide a shorter distance for pedestrians to cross a street and force a driver to slow for an intersection.
Curb extensions, however, are also very expensive to install, Gantzel said, and may not be helpful at this particular intersection, especially given the upcoming enforcement of a new, statewide “daylighting” law that prohibits parking within 20 feet of any intersection.
Gantzel said the city of San Diego has asked the board for a list of intersections that need pedestrian improvements based on volume.
For the Prospect and Fay intersection, “it makes sense to me to put crosswalk paint here,” Ganztel said.
The intersection of Kline Street and Herschel Avenue also merits crosswalk refreshing, T&T members agreed.
That intersection also has curb bulb-outs, but in the form of pylons and paint instead of concrete. Over time, however, the pain has faded and “pylons are falling apart,” Gantzel said.
Pedestrian safety there is imperative, T&T Vice Chair Bill Podway said, as it’s a major crossing for families going to and from Stella Maris Academy.
One block west, the intersection at Kline and Girard also needs attention, as the crosswalk paint on the north side of Girard “is really in bad shape,” Gantzel said.
That intersection is also “a great example of a high pedestrian area that … needs four-way painting for a pedestrian crossing,” T&T member John Bauer said, noting the absence of crosswalk paint on the other crossings.
Gantzel will submit the board’s list to the city.
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