A New Look For The Crosswalks In Town

By Andrew Gorosko

The town has placed new, smaller signs at crosswalks in the town center telling motorists that drivers must yield to pedestrians who are in the crosswalks.

The new black-and-white signs, which are positioned inside compact collapsible white plastic frames, are considered safer than the large orange-and-white barrels, which formerly were stationed near crosswalks, police Captain Michael Kehoe told Police Commission members.

The captain said the large barrels, which previously held the road signs, were removed at the request of the state Department of Transportation (DOT). Two of the roads where the signs are positioned, Main Street and Church Hill Road, are state roads under DOT’s jurisdiction.

The large barrels are considered hazardous objects, which could become airborne in an impact, flying across the road and landing on a traveling vehicle, posing an accident hazard.

 During the past year, the several barrels which had been positioned near crosswalks on Main Street, Church Hill Road and Queen Street took numerous hits from passing motor vehicles, resulting in damaged barrels.

Police Commission Chairman James Reilly pointed out that the new smaller signs are not as visible as the barrels that were formerly used.

Capt Kehoe said police are seeking some other type of sign that is both readily visible to motorists and also safer than the barrels that were formerly used.

Police Chief James E. Lysaght, Jr, suggested that the town mount the pedestrian right-of-way signs on tall, narrow safety barrels to provide a device that is readily visible, but does not pose traffic accident hazards. Chief Lysaght spoke as an audience member at the Police Commission session. The Police Commission placed the chief on administrative leave in early July, until its pending job termination action against him is resolved. Capt Kehoe is running the police department in the chief’s absence.

Last fall, the town posted the pedestrian right-of-way safety barrels near major crosswalks in the town center after a local man was killed by an auto while crossing Main Street in front of Edmond Town Hall at night. The man was not in an intersection while crossing the street.