In a classic case of "somebody ought to have seen this coming", local officials are struggling to find a way to address the problem of kids crossing U.S. 34 to get to and from Schoo Middle School. One proposal: build a $3+ million pedestrian bridge. That's a hefty price tag for a solution that may not, in fact, be a solution at all.
The problem is two-fold. First, some kids don't use the designated crosswalks. I'll give you a moment to let that sink in. Some middle school students don't follow the rules. Astonishing, isn't it? Second, the speed limit on that portion of the highway is 60 miles per hour. At that speed, any car-pedestrian accident is going to be ugly.
A bridge doesn't solve those problems. A bridge requires the kids to cross the highway at a single, designated spot. Since we have already established that some kids refuse to cross where they are supposed to, a bridge doesn't solve the first problem. And if it doesn't solve the first problem, it doesn't address the second problem. Without some way to force kids onto the bridge, it's not a solution. Rather, it just helps adults feel like they have "done something".
"So what should we do, Mr. Smartypants?" you might ask. There are several possibilities:
- Increase the number of crosswalks. If you decrease the distance kids have to walk out of their way to get to a crosswalk, you increase the likelihood that they will use it.
- "Force" students to use the existing crosswalks. One method is to use fences. Another approach is to use crossing guards of some sort, perhaps armed with video cameras to catch illicit crossers. I think with a little creativity you could come up with several ideas along these lines.
- Drop the School Zone speed limit all the way down to 35 miles per hour. The sharp slowdown on a four-lane highway will get drivers' attention, and it will decrease both the likelihood and severity of accidents.
Those are just a start. What can you come up with?
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Armed guards, where violators will be shot and killed.
Unless we get volunteers from among these guys, I think the salary and benefits costs will quickly cost more than the bridge.
Okay, I am not totally familiar with the area and what the trail situation is. Would it be possible to have a bike trail that would point to the proper place for people to cross?
Also, what is the potential for a tunnel under the road rather than a bridge over the road. A trail feeding into a bike trail/tunnel seems like it would be a better pipeline than what is there. Not sure the cost versus a bridge, but there could be trails nearby, or planned, already.
Fences do certainly make sense.
My last idea, a teleportation device, would probably be cost prohibitive (unless someone can finally bring down the costs of a flux capacitor).
I’m always shocked at the price tags of these things. Is there any way to get a less than 3 mil price? Can you sacrifice some of the finish in favor of functionality? That said, I think you’re right about kids not using it- even if the bridge is exactly where they want to go, they still have to climb all the way up and over, which is extra time. I look at the A street bridge near 6th st- I see people walking over the train tracks there instead of using the bridge all the time.
Other ideas: set up cameras and/or station cops out there occasionally to talk to the kids that are crossing illegally. Find out where they’re crossing most and add a stop there. Or, show gruesome “kids getting hit by cars” videos to the kids at school.
My favorite idea is dropping the school zone speed limit. Cheap and effective.
Fences or walls that can’t easily be scaled, funneling into a bridge. The same exact way that pedestrian traffic is protected from highways in urban areas in large cities. Speed zones will be missed by drowsy drivers with catastrophic results. A tunnel invites teenage shenanigans with its blocked sight lines.
It’s not just kids either. As an example, adults under the influence will stagger onto high speed roadways unless they are physically prevented from doing so.
...Though a bridge also invites its own set of shenanigans…
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