Coeur d’Alene to get more flashing crosswalk beacons
Coeur d’Alene walkers and bicyclists are getting more flasher-protected crossings.
The city last week announced that it has received a federal grant to help pay for flashing beacons at seven locations.
The city currently has a flashing beacon at Seventh Street and Birch Avenue near Bryan Elementary School.
As a result, people in Coeur d’Alene have gotten familiar with the flashers and apparently support their installation at key crossings, city officials said.
A crowdfunding effort through the community, including Sunrise Rotary and Roger’s Ice Cream & Burgers, resulted in raising $1,645 for a pair of flashing beacons at Sherman Avenue and 13th Street.
That support led to the city’s successful application for federal funding of $78,000 to pay for additional locations, said Sam Taylor, deputy city administrator.
“The community support is really the impetus in how this began,” Taylor said.
The devices are known as rectangular rapid flashing beacons.
Pedestrians and bicyclists simply press an activating button and the flashers are turned on to warn drivers to wait for their crossings. Drivers obey the signs.
The beacons use solar power.
A similar flashing beacon was installed on Hamilton Street in Spokane next to Gonzaga University and has proven to be a benefit to pedestrian safety.
Taylor cited a federal study that drivers are three to four times more likely to stop for pedestrians at the flashing beacons.
Two locations slated for the beacons are on 15th Street next to Lakes Middle School at Hastings and Montana avenues.
Another one is at Best Avenue and Ninth Street near Borah Elementary School.
The commercial area at Fourth Street and Miller Avenue will also get flashers.
Other locations are Seventh Street and Foster Avenue near Phippeny Park and 13th Street and Sherman Avenue.
Also on the list is Sherman Avenue and Sixth Street.
Additional flashers will be sought for the intersection of Seventh Street and Harrison Avenue at Bryan Elementary School.
Flashers will also go up at Sherman Avenue at Ninth and 21st streets. All of the installations will occur by summer.
The city hopes the Sherman Avenue flashers will encourage more pedestrian and bicycle travel across Sherman, the city’s main east-west route.
The successful grant application was put together by Welch Comer Engineers, of Coeur d’Alene, at no cost to the city.
The crowdsourced money helped provide leverage to win the federal grant.
Since the city received the grant, the money that was raised through crowdsourcing will be used to pay for signage and crosswalk striping.
A reduced speed limit of 60 mph, down from the normal 70 mph limit, has been posted for a section of Interstate 90 between the Fishtrap and Sprague interchanges southwest of Spokane.
Worn pavement has been failing, exposing numerous potholes. State maintenance workers are trying to fill the holes as a temporary measure before a full repaving effort this summer.