Citizens attempting to cross Cherokee Boulevard where it intersects with Minor Street should have an easier time crossing the four-lane street safely thanks to a new crosswalk installed by the Chattanooga Department of Transportation last week.
The road now features a wider pedestrian refuge island in the center, allowing slower pedestrians to break up the crossing and minimize their impediments on traffic, as well as providing further separation between pedestrians and opposing traffic, said Assistant Traffic Engineer Ben Taylor.
A turn has also been added to the crosswalk that positions pedestrians to face oncoming traffic, making them more aware of traffic when preparing to cross the intersection.
“It makes people a part of the decision-making in staying safe,” he said.
According to Taylor, the new features have been proven to reduce vehicle-pedestrian crash frequency and severity on multi-lane streets.
The changes are part of CDOT’s efforts to fulfill the Mayors’ Challenge for Safer People and Safer Streets, a nationwide initiative seeking to address non-motorized transportation safety issues.
Taylor said the reason for making the changes is not because a large number of accidents involving pedestrians have occurred at the spot, but because CDOT has received requests from pedestrians who cross the street. He explained that there’s a 1,200-foot stretch of roadway filled with amenities that extends between Cherokee’s two signalized crossings at Manufacturers Road and Manning Streets, which buffer Minor Street.
“There are a lot of restaurants and new apartments in the area, and people have been taking their chances crossing,” he said of the Minor Street intersection, adding that since Cherokee was being stripped away, this was a good time to go ahead with the pedestrian changes.
Vehicular traffic on the road will remain the same, said Taylor.