pedestrians - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-28T16:57:04Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/pedestriansOcean Ridge: Commissioners to consider task force safety proposals for Old Oceanhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/ocean-ridge-commissioners-to-consider-task-force-safety-proposals2022-05-04T16:09:20.000Z2022-05-04T16:09:20.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Joe Capozzi</strong></p>
<p>Ocean Ridge town commissioners in June will consider new proposals by a citizens task force for safety measures on and around Old Ocean Boulevard.<br /> Old Ocean Boulevard runs nearly a mile from Corrine Street in Ocean Ridge to Briny Breezes, east of and parallel with State Road A1A. Segments of the Ocean Ridge stretch offer unobstructed views of the ocean, attracting crowds of walkers, bicyclists and skateboarders, along with vehicles.<br /> The task force, convened early this year at the suggestion of Mayor Susan Hurlburt, met twice in April and presented the following safety recommendations to commissioners May 2: <br /> • Install removable speed humps (not speed bumps) on Adams Road and Beachway Drive — two east-west streets that connect North Ocean Boulevard and Old Ocean Boulevard — and on Old Ocean from Beachway south to Tropical Drive, a stretch that currently has no stop signs. <br /> • Add signage stating “Residents Only/Local Access Only” at Corinne and Thompson streets, Adams and Beachway. <br /> • Paint a center line down the length of Old Ocean as a visual reminder for vehicles and bicycles to stay to the right.<br /> • Clear the 5-foot right of way along Old Ocean, in particular the east side of the road where overgrown vegetation doesn’t allow space for pedestrians to move to the side to avoid oncoming traffic. <br /> • Consider lowering the posted speed limit on Old Ocean to an unusual number that would catch the attention of drivers, such as 13 mph or 16 mph.<br /> The recommendations are just the latest round of ideas for enhancing safety on the road, a topic that has been debated off and on at least since 2007 when a traffic study referred to Old Ocean as the “Jewel of the Town.’’ <br /> But as nearby developments in Boynton Beach send more and more walkers, bicycles and vehicles onto Old Ocean, many town officials and residents say it’s past time to finally implement a safety plan. <br /> “Our hope is that the recommendations we listed, along with continued education and enforcement, will ultimately change behaviors and help improve public safety on our ‘Jewel of the Town,’’’ task force chair Carolyn Cassidy told commissioners. <br /> Cassidy and several other task force members asked commissioners to discuss the recommendations immediately, so the town could earmark money for the safety measures when work starts on the next budget. <br /> Commissioners, though, said they wanted to think about the proposals first and then discuss them in June at a meeting where other residents could offer ideas. <br /> Town officials plan to come up with rough cost estimates for the recommendations for commissioners to discuss at their next meeting, at 5 p.m. June 6. The town’s first budget meeting is the same day at 2 p.m. </p></div>Boca Raton: Glades Plaza owners get OK to upgrade Northwest 19th Street for pedestrianshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-raton-glades-plaza-owners-get-ok-to-upgrade-northwest-19th-s2019-02-27T14:11:06.000Z2019-02-27T14:11:06.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>By Mary Hladky</b></span></p>
<p class="p3">Northwest 19th Street in Midtown will get a makeover.</p>
<p class="p3">The Boca Raton City Council at its meeting Feb. 26 supported a proposal by the two corporate owners of Glades Plaza to improve the street that bisects the retail center. Its tenants include Starbucks, Abe & Louie’s restaurant, Orangetheory Fitness and TooJay’s Gourmet Deli.</p>
<p class="p3">The Glades Plaza owners approached the city with their ideas to beautify the road because they plan to redevelop their property. They will make the improvements and maintain them.</p>
<p class="p3">Their conceptual plans dovetail with the city’s desire to improve the appearance of streets in Midtown and to improve their walkability.</p>
<p class="p3">Northwest 19th Street is among the roads the city slated for upgrades in the small area plan for Midtown. Some elements of the small area plan are included in a recently adopted city ordinance.</p>
<p class="p3">The roadwork will be done on the section of the street between Butts Road and Renaissance Way.</p>
<p class="p3">Glades Plaza wants wider sidewalks with pavers, crosswalks with pavers, on-street parking, and the addition of trees and other landscaping on both sides of the street. Additional landscaping will be between sidewalks and the two-lane street.</p>
<p class="p3">The City Council’s support of the project will allow city staff and the owners to finalize an agreement for construction and maintenance. Work permits will then be issued.</p>
<p class="p3">The Glades Plaza owners are L&B CIP Glades Plaza LLC and L&B CIP Glades Twin Plaza LLC. </p>
<p class="p2"></p></div>Editor's Note: A1A crosswalk signs are well worth the expensehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/editor-s-note-a1a-crosswalk-signs-are-well-worth-the-expense2016-05-04T18:30:00.000Z2016-05-04T18:30:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p> I’m a walker. Most mornings I see some of you as I head to the Ocean Ridge Natural Area or to the beach. Often you wave — which is lovely. Often you slow down or stop at the A1A crosswalks and let me cross. That’s what you are supposed to do, and I appreciate it. <br /> The relatively recent installation of in-the-crosswalk signs has greatly improved the frequency at which motorists slow to let pedestrians cross. <br /> But since these signs are in the middle of the roadway, they often fall victim to tight passage around bicycles or to general careless and distracted driving. Hundreds of them have been damaged and replaced. <br /> Although the signage is created by Florida’s Department of Transportation (A1A is a state road), the state supplies only a limited number each year. <br /> As a result, our coastal towns absorb the cost of replacement signs. <br /> As a coastal resident, this seems like a good use of my taxpayer dollars. Not only does it make my morning walks safer and more enjoyable, but it does the same for many, many others.<br /> And it’s not just the local residents who benefit. The entire A1A experience is improved when drivers slow down and take notice of their environment. <br /> There is a certain mindfulness about watching a wagon filled with toddlers and their beach toys cross the highway, or teenagers with their surfboards or seniors out walking their dogs. <br /> Slowing down allows us to think about where we are. And when we take the time to look around, it’s hard not to see that we are in a very special place.<br /> Safety, however, is the highest priority, and no matter how well-installed these signs are and how alert the drivers of automobiles and bicyclists are, it’s up to pedestrians to make sure they are in a safe environment. Police advise that you make eye contact with the driver of an approaching vehicle before stepping into a crosswalk. And if you are out at night, remember that you simply may not be visible in the dark. <br /> If John Boden, an activist in Highland Beach, is successful in his campaign to have flashing LED lights installed around pedestrian crosswalk signs [story: <a href="http://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-flashing-lights-at-crosswalks-would-prevent-crash">click here</a>], it may improve night safety. The idea has merit and should be explored.<br /> Still, pedestrians are responsible for their own safety and should not take chances. At the same time, drivers of automobiles and bicyclists should always be prepared to stop at marked crosswalks. Slow down, enjoy the moment and let’s all be safe out there.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <em>Mary Kate Leming,</em><br /> <em>Editor</em></p></div>Along the Coast: Tickets down during bike law enforcement pushhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-tickets-down-during-bike-law-enforcement-push2016-03-30T14:27:43.000Z2016-03-30T14:27:43.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong><br /><br /> Efforts to educate motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians in parts of coastal Palm Beach County about the importance of sharing the road appear to be paying off. <br /> During a weeklong, stepped-up enforcement effort along State Road A1A in southern Palm Beach County last month, law enforcement officers from six agencies wrote only one moving-violation citation to a bicyclist and did not issue any warnings or citations to pedestrians. <br /> “We’re seeing a lot more compliance than we had in the past,” said Highland Beach police Lt. Eric Lundberg, who founded the South Florida Safe Roads Task Force two years ago and who helps lead the group of law enforcement officers and traffic safety advocates. “Motorists and bicyclists are actively working toward the goal of sharing the road.”<br /> During the most recent coordinated education and enforcement effort from March 7 to 13, law enforcement officers wrote motorists 38 citations and issued drivers 28 written warnings.<br /> Nine of the citations were for speeding, 12 were for red-light violations and seven were nonmoving violations, such as an expired tag or faulty equipment. There were also 10 moving violations for a variety of other traffic infractions.<br /> In addition to the one violation for the bicyclist, law enforcement officers issued 120 verbal warnings to bicyclists, with a large number of the them the result of officers pulling over groups of riders and reminding them of the law. <br /> “Our goal is education and it appears that we’re making progress,” said Lundberg, who thinks increased awareness played a role in reducing the number of citations issued. <br /> For at least one bicycle club, which hosts two weekend rides on State Road A1A, constant efforts to ensure riders remain safe and follow the law may be playing a role in the reduced citations. <br /> “We do everything we can to be as safe as possible and ride within the rules,” says Tony Whittaker, a ride leader with the zMotion Bicycle Club, which hosts group rides for club members on Saturday and Sunday mornings. <br /> Whittaker and another ride leader, Dean Budney, said before each ride the team leaders go over safety measures and laws. <br /> For each ride, which can have as many as 30 bicyclists, team leaders remind riders to stay as far to the right as possible. <br /> Budney said often there will be some riders who join the group and don’t always follow the law. Ride leaders encourage those bicyclists to leave the group.<br /> “I ask people to ride somewhere else fairly regularly,” Budney said. “Our role as team leaders is to bring everyone home safe and in one piece.” <br /> While law enforcement officers acknowledge there are other groups where rides on A1A can evolve into impromptu races, Budney and Whittaker say zMotion does not permit racing. The group rides about 20 to 22 miles per hour, they say. <br /> The team leaders say they usually let others in the group know when there is a car behind them, shouting out “car back,” so riders can move over even farther. <br /> Whittaker says he frequently signals to the car when it is safe to cross over the yellow line, passing the bicyclists by more than three feet, the legal requirement.<br /> While zMotion disagrees with a Highland Beach Police Department interpretation of the state law that officers say requires bicyclists to ride single file except when passing, club members comply and ride in a single line when going through the town. Lundberg has requested a clarification of the law from the state Attorney General’s Office.<br /> “Our goal is to represent the cycling community well,” Budney said.</p></div>Along the Coast: Many warned, several cited during road safety weekhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-many-warned-several-cited-during-road-safety-week2015-12-30T16:30:00.000Z2015-12-30T16:30:00.000ZChris Felkerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/ChrisFelker<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960624668,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960624668,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="504" alt="7960624668?profile=original" /></a><em>Florida Highway Patrol Officer Paul Croy speaks to a group of cyclists he pulled over in Highland Beach</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>after observing them violating a law regarding road-sharing. None of the cyclists received a ticket.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>By Rich Pollack<br /> <br /></strong> Highland Beach Police Officer Paul Shersty was driving south along State Road A1A one Saturday morning when he noticed a car continue through a dedicated crosswalk just as two pedestrians began to cross. <br /> Shersty turned on his lights and pulled the car over. <br /> Rather than write a ticket, he issued the driver a verbal warning.<br /> The verbal warning was one of three issued to motorists during targeted enforcement efforts along State Road A1A last month coordinated by the South Florida Safe Roads Task Force. <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960625498,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960625498,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="358" alt="7960625498?profile=original" /></a> The enforcement efforts, conducted mainly during a Saturday and Sunday morning, were part of a weeklong education campaign designed to raise awareness of the need for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians to safely share the road. The effort involved police officers from towns and cities up and down the coast, as well as Florida Highway Patrol troopers.<br /> “The campaign was not designed to write tickets,” said Tara Applebaum, spokeswoman for the Safe Roads Task Force and executive director of Dori Saves Lives/The Dori Slosberg Foundation. “All of the agencies involved in the task force are looking to create awareness of major issues that are causing serious injuries and fatalities.”<br /> To help get the word out, the task force placed several message boards along State Road A1A during the week of Dec. 7 to let those using the road know that a vehicle-, bicycle- and pedestrian-safety campaign was in effect.<br /> During those targeted efforts, law enforcement officers wrote 25 citations to motorists, five citations to bicyclists and three tickets to pedestrians. <br /> Officers also wrote 21 warnings to bicyclists and issued close to 200 verbal warnings to them, most coming when officers or troopers pulled over packs of riders.<br /> During one stop in Highland Beach, Trooper Paul Croy pulled over a group of more than 30 bicyclists, reminding them of the need to share the road and not impede the regular flow of traffic whenever possible. <br /> “We’re here to protect you all,” he told them. <br /> Later, Croy and other troopers pulled over a pack of bicyclists after one of the troopers said he saw some of them taking up much of the southbound lane of State Road A1A and impeding traffic. Two citations were issued.<br /> The leader of at least one bicycle club, zMotion, says his group has made an effort in recent years to ensure riders share the road and remain safe.<br /> “zMotion and a lot of the other clubs have really scaled back and focused on obeying the laws,” says Chris Hoch, the group’s executive director.<br /> Hoch said that each group of riders has a ride captain — or more, depending on the size of the group — who reviews the laws with the group and works to make sure the rules are being followed. “The captains are the ones who make sure everyone is safe and not breaking any laws,” Hoch said.<br /> Task force members say they plan to conduct additional enforcement efforts later this year and are discussing the possibility of hosting a safety fair. <br /> “Human nature is to get complacent, so we’re continuing the education process for everyone involved,” said Highland Beach Police Lt. Eric Lundberg, one of the founders of the task force.<br /></p></div>