Safer routes sought for walkers, bikes

At least three times a week, Adam Baker has a close call.

The barbershop owner bicycles from his home near the Carson City Airport to his shop on Winnie Lane, sometimes through downtown. What he finds are cars driving in the bike lanes and dark crosswalks at night for children and walkers to negotiate.

"One of the most idiotic things I've seen are the crosswalks without lights on a four-lane road," Baker said about downtown Carson Street. "You can't see pedestrians."

With a highway running through downtown and pedestrians dependent on the mercy of drivers to cross the dark streets, Baker said he can't imagine how the city can encourage people to walk in the area.

"You've just really got to keep your eyes open," he said.

Resident Sue Newberry said her main concern is safety of children in other areas.

"I watch kids walking home from school in the streets because there are no sidewalks," Newberry told members of the Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Wednesday.

In the past 10 years, 11 people were struck and killed by drivers while walking on Carson City streets. In five of those cases, alcohol consumption was involved, either by the walker or the driver. Nine of the fatalities involved people more than age 40, according to state statistics.

"It didn't look like one particular location is worse than the other," said Eric Glick, state pedestrian and bicycle program manager.

The state has partnered lately with the Nevada Highway Patrol and the Sheriff's Department on "pedestrian awareness" campaigns, citing drivers who don't yield to let walkers cross. Another "sting" is scheduled for March, Glick said.

Though Carson City is seen by many throughout the state as pedestrian-friendly with its emphasis on bike and pedestrian trails, crosswalks and signals, state and city officials plan to start work on a master plan to make walking even safer.

Glick said the state's first pedestrian plan is expected to be finished next year, and city transportation officials say they will spend money in 2005 to create a city plan. By creating a citywide pedestrian program, Carson can qualify for federal funding for better education and programs.

Anne Macquarrie, a bicycling and pedestrian advocate in Carson, said the time is right to start addressing gaps in pedestrian safety.

"We have the potential to be a very walkable city," she told transportation officials Wednesday. "I'm here to urge you time has really come to prepare good pedestrian plan, and it could be a benefit to the city."

City and state plans could include installing sidewalks, flashing lights that run across the pavement like those at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport crossings, education and other more creative ideas.

"We may experiment with crosswalks with orange flags," Glick said.

A pilot program to start in Fallon includes placing an orange flag in a bucket on one side of the crosswalk. When a pedestrian crosses, he would pick up the flag and wave it as he or she crosses, placing it in another bucket at the other end.

Carson started a preliminary pedestrian plan in 2001 and will use it for creating a new plan, said city transportation manager John Flansberg.

"Having a full pedestrian plan will help us to develop where our deficiencies are and develop projects," he said. "We will be a little more proactive than we have been."

The city has tried to include pedestrian-friendly features with other recent projects done, Flansberg said. A flashing crosswalk on Roop Street between the Community Center and the library is planned as part of the Roop widening project.

Contact Jill Lufrano at jlufrano@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.