As a commuter moving up and down Olive Way every day, I always notice when something changes on the street. And on the morning of February 29th, what I saw was admittedly anticlimactic: a missing pedestrian sign and signal at the on-ramp to Interstate 5. I tweeted the problem to local government agencies, expecting a quick fix, but what followed was a blame-shedding game of hot potato and a disappointing look into the bureaucratic agencies that manage our safety on the streets. Urbanists expect better from our local transportation departments.
Background
The signals in question are technically known as Rapid Flashing Beacons (RFB). In combination with high visibility signs, they catch drivers’ attention with button-activated LED lights that flash in a staccato pattern similar to emergency vehicle lights. And at capital cost of $10,000 to $15,000 per pair, they are cheaper than the $250,000 to $500,00 price for a traditional traffic signal. Introduced within the last decade, they are a new tool for improving pedestrian and bicyclist visibility at roadway crossings, and are frequently used at midblock crosswalks, roundabout entries, and even regular uncontrolled intersections (oftentimes near schools).
