Nick McWilliams reporting – Just in time for the short days of winter, New Philadelphia has worked out some issues with a new lighted crosswalk sign.
The crosswalk in question is along South Broadway at Allen Lane, near the Alley Cats Marketplace close to the Square.
Safety Director Greg Popham said that officials had noticed how dark the crosswalk was, prompting them to install a highly-visible sign to notify drivers of the presence of pedestrians in the crosswalk.
“That was one of the darker crosswalks after the sun went down. We did this kind of as a test to see if it works. I think one of the biggest things is, I’ve been uptown and I’ve watched a half dozen people cross the crosswalk and not push the button.”
All pedestrians are urged to use the new light-up sign to prevent collisions with vehicles when crossing the street.
Popham noted that there were a few issues right after the sign was installed, but those appear to have been resolved.
Looking ahead, the safety director says that they are planning on improving the visibility of other crosswalks in the city in 2023.
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