Now that the city has installed all seven new faux-brick crosswalks across the city, I’d love to hear some feedback from both motorists and pedestrians on what they think of those slightly elevated, slightly textured walking lanes.

I’m especially interested in hearing opinions about the one I traveled over (on wheels) this morning: West Howard @ Adair St.  Thus far, crosswalk monitor Andisheh Nouraee doesn’t sound impressed.

New brick crosswalk at Adair & W. Howard thus far has no noticeable effect on speeders. They still fly by.

And from what I recall reading somewhere at some point, Mr. Wang isn’t all that impressed with driver-calming at the South Candler additions.

And in addition to observations of others, do you find yourself driving any slower through these areas/intersections?

UPDATE: Chief Booker writes in…

…yesterday at approximately 9:26am., Decatur officers responded to a pedestrian that had been struck by a vehicle. Upon arrival officers determined that a female was walking northbound within the crosswalk in the 200 block of West Ponce de Leon Avenue at its intersection with Ponce de Leon Place. The driver of the Chevy Malibu failed to yield and subsequently struck the pedestrian. The pedestrian was treated on scene and then was transported to Atlanta Medical Center. Injuries sustained at the time of the accident did not appear to be life threatening.

The “wreck” reported on Twitter in the 9am hour at Ponce de Leon Ave and Ponce de Leon Place (in front of Cakes and Ale) was actually a pedestrian hit by a car.

Jonathan writes in with an eye-witness account…

I’m pretty sure a pedestrian got hit by a vehicle this morning crossing Ponce at Ponce Place. It’s possible that the pedestrian had just fallen or something and the driver (turning left on to Ponce, eastbound) just stopped right in front of her to help. But it looked like a vehicle-pedestrian collision.

Since multiple vehicles had stopped to tend to the downed pedestrian (who was sitting up in the crosswalk and seemed conscious) and I heard approaching ambulance sirens, I thought it would be best to stay out of the way.

Altmod referred to the incident as…

…the pedestrian hit this morning in front of Cakes and Ale while crossing the street. Many cop cars, ambulances, fire trucks, etc. Any word if she is okay?

I’ve got a note in to Decatur PD requesting further detail.  Stay tuned.

I’m sorry, but apparently planning talk is like a siren’s call to me.

As I mentioned in a previous post, city commission candidate Patti Garrett is proposing ideas on how to improve pedestrian safety along that car sewer we call College Avenue over on her new blog.  Among the ideas are “low cost bandaids”.  Patti writes…

Certainly there are interim measures that can help calm the traffic, increase the alertness of pedestrians, walkers and bikers, and increase awareness of everyone involved that they all have a role to play in making this work.

Is there a way to call attention to the intersections that alerts pedestrians, bicyclers, drivers that those marked are “dangerous intersections”? Mark the pavement? Use crossing flags? Place pedestrian makers in street similar to those used at intersections without a light? Other traffic calming measures that increase pedestrian safety?

This reminded me of a quick and relatively cheap ped-friendly idea I saw while on my recent trip to Bermuda: zig-zag lines!

I think this is genius.  Instead of the familiar double yellow line causally leading a zoned-out driver headlong into a white, striped crosswalk, this change to a broken zig-zag unnerves and alerts the driver that something is about to change and that they should sit up and pay attention.

I’d guess that about 90% of the reason cars don’t stop for pedestrians in crosswalks has to do with not seeing them.  I know that as a driver, I often find myself swearing at the dashboard as I blow through a crosswalk having not seen the now-disappointed dog walker waiting to cross.  Zig-zag lines can help remedy this problem, giving the driver a cheap and effective heads-up.

Do I hear a second?

UPDATE: Andisheh followed up with DPD and the resident.  Here’s his update:

Reed Thodeson and his dog Madchen were victims of a hit-and-run at 5:40PM on Tuesday, May 12 as they were crossing S. Candler street in Decatur. Thodeson is okay, but Madchen died last weekend after surgery.

If you see a purple pickup truck with dark, tinted windows, and custom chrome bumpers, please contact Officer Bellis at the Decatur Police Department at 404-373-6551. The case# 0902316.

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Andisheh, who has many of his own war stories about attempting to cross W. Howard at Adair, forwards a Fox5 story that appeared about a week ago, about a man and his dog who were hit by a car while trying to cross S. Candler near the former Victory Vintage Home.  Both are still alive, but the dog was literally run over and had to have one of her rear legs amputated.

From what I can tell from the video, the driver was turning left off E. College onto S. Candler when he/she struck Reed Thodeson and his dog Madchen.  The driver didn’t stop.  Luckily, a good Samaritan did.

Be vigilant out there folks.

I forgot to mention another key element of Phase II of the city’s sidewalk plan: eight new faux-brick crosswalks – like the one currently across Ponce at E. Courthouse Square – installed across the city.

I’m not sure of they’re specific locations yet, as the report just says they’ll be at “8 intersections with substantial pedestrian traffic”, but I hope one is planned for the Ponce crosswalk near Taqueria del Sol.  I’m forever challenging drivers to stop for me there…and only ever with modest success.