Posted on March 5, 2019 at 5:05 PM by Nancy Oakland-Potter
Q. When is a traffic light going to be installed at 22nd and Reynolds and a safety crossing light at the front of the middle school at 22nd and Hancock AND a crossing light at Reynolds and 28th, before a child gets hurt or dies??? These children are precious and deserve protection. People driving do not care and there isn't always a police officer around. There are always parents speeding or illegally driving. Why does the UW get a safety light on Grand and our young children do not matter??? If a child gets hurt or dies I will personally petition to sue the city. It's documented here. Do not allow These intersections to remain unsafe.
A. The City has been monitoring and routinely evaluating the intersection since 2013 and, in the summer of 2017, the traffic impact evaluation reached the engineering threshold for signalization. The City Manager subsequently recommended an appropriation of $250,000 for design, purchase, and installation of appropriate signals as part of the annual budget process in March 2018. City Council reviewed and approved the funding recommendation in June 2018 and directed staff to delay installation until a cost-share with the Albany County School District (ACSD) had been determined due to the intense episodic morning and afternoon junior high traffic, which is a causative factor for signalization being needed at the intersection. City staff initiated contact with ACSD administration and learned in October 2018 that the District will not be sharing the cost of the traffic signal.
Orders for mast arms, poles, and signal heads take 6-9 months to fulfill due to international economics surrounding steel. Solar powered signals and ADA compliance are part of the design of the intersection currently underway. Based on these factors, it is estimated that construction will occur the first half of 2020.