I attended the student presentations for the new city strategic plan yesterday. Students from area high schools, Drury, OTC, and Evangel (no MSU team? hmmmmm…) presented the city council with a snapshot of what it will take to attract them to the city as a place to live and work following graduation. (Congratulations to the Evangel team.)
I found the results unsurprising and encouraging: “…they want Springfield to have a robust job market and a vibrant center city, recycle more and depend less on automobiles in 20 years.”
I sat with Tim Conklin, executive director of the OTO. He made a point of telling me that he’d walked from his office on the Square. But he also told me something that I know all too well: Crossing Chestnut Cxpressway on foot is a real problem. It creates a barrier in the middle of the urban core.
Shortly after the student presentations ended, something happened to Edward Eanes, 60, at the intersection of Boonville and Chestnut Expressway — right outside city Hall. From the News-Leader article:
…she found him lying in the middle of the right turn lane with a visibly distraught woman and a large white vehicle stopped a few feet away.”I don’t know if he had a seizure or if a car hit him,” said Nancy Eanes, 60, explaining that her husband, Edwin, has epilepsy. “They won’t let me near him.”
…
The couple, who live in Springfield and have been married for 11 years, had just finished eating at Harbor House, she said. A program there provides free meals at noon every day.
“We go to the Harbor House because we don’t have food to eat,” she said.
The female driver at the scene of the accident quietly issued a “no comment” when asked what happened, but Springfield Police Sgt. Brian Phillips confirmed by phone that “a pedestrian was struck.”
Phillips said he didn’t know the name of the female driver. Eanes was apparently in the right turn lane, which allows motorists on Booneville to turn east on Chestnut, when he was hit by a vehicle.
“He was crossing the street where there was no crosswalk,” Phillips said.
Without further context, I’ll resist the urge to be offended by Officer Phillips’ final quote. Instead, I’ll simply point out that there is no crosswalk at that intersection. We cannot use a crosswalk that does not exist.
Eanes was left to fend for himself by the poor design of this road.
I hope the city takes the students’ vision of a better Springfield seriously.
UPDATE: Pedestrian accommodation along Chestnut Expressway was part of a recent request to MoDOT by the Missouri Bicycle Federation.
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Comments 10
While it would neither tame vehicular traffic through the area nor challenge the status quo notion that pedestrians should walk where road design permits them to, I still like the idea of a foot bridge or two across Chestnut. Perhaps this unfortunate incident will lend some weight to such a proposal. I strongly believe such a move would greatly benefit the urban core and should be seriously considered.
Posted 14 Apr 2010 at 11:44 am ¶Jason… Foot/bicycle bridges are very expensive compared to paint and pedestrian-friendly traffic lights. And, then, what about the other intersections along Chestnut? But, on the good side, if we were to clamor for a bridge they (MoDOT) just might give us paint and lights. So, hell yeah! — a bridge!
Posted 14 Apr 2010 at 12:01 pm ¶Has anyone actually asked MODOT for a crosswalk and pedestrian timers? I’ve noticed that our MODOT area folks are pretty receptive and while we (bike/ped folks) often bitch about MODOT a lot we rarely actually contact MODOT to ask for specific treatments.
One of our local bicyclists called MODOT to ask for a crosswalk timer and it appeared. Then another asked for share the road signs on a rural highway and they appeared too.
Andy, do you know if anyone has asked for a crosswalk there?
I realize that we all feel like we should not have to ask but…..
Posted 14 Apr 2010 at 12:19 pm ¶Yeah, the cost of a footbridge had crossed my mind. I do like your compromise strategy (should we request a tunnel and hope to get a bridge instead?). Perhaps the widening of Hwy 65 or the new 60/65 interchange will come in under budget and surplus funding could be used for a “shovel ready” bridge (or two). Maybe we’ll have to hit Ray LaHood up for some funding next time he’s in town.
Posted 14 Apr 2010 at 12:49 pm ¶Robert… Excellent point and suggestion. I’m on it!
Posted 14 Apr 2010 at 1:04 pm ¶According to a piece KY3 ran on the demolition of the Tindle Mills complex there are plans for a greenway to connect Jordan Valley Park with Silver Springs Park just north of OTC. No time frame mentioned but that could end up being the most stress-free way to cross Chestnut.
Posted 14 Apr 2010 at 1:08 pm ¶Jason… Yes, it could be. But, again, it doesn’t the solve the problem of permeability across the entire urban core. Keep your fingers crossed on that project!
Posted 14 Apr 2010 at 1:22 pm ¶Irony, right? I often walk to work (at the City office buildings) and this intersection is pretty lame. Not even the consideration that people may be crossing here on foot. I can’t wait until the green space under the overpass by Tindle Mills is connected but Andy is right, we need crosswalks on Chestnut. There are too many offices and vital services in this area for it to only be accessed via parking lots.
Posted 14 Apr 2010 at 1:53 pm ¶Andy…I see what you’re saying regarding the permeability issue. A well-marked crosswalk approach is the most sensible way to go. Nobody wants to go several blocks out of their way just to cross a busy road.
Posted 14 Apr 2010 at 10:01 pm ¶Not sure what MO law says, but in FL there are legal crosswalks at every intersection regardless of whether or not they are marked (even if there is no paved sidewalk). The unmarked ones are unknown to drivers (but in Orlando, so are the marked ones).
Intersections are frustrating places to cross when you have free-flowing right turn lanes, or those hideous high-speed rounded corners.
Check out what St Pete did on an urban arterial with RRFBs and a median refuge. That crosswalk was DELUXE!
Posted 15 Apr 2010 at 8:55 am ¶