New Safety Project nears completion

Roosevelt Avenue’s new crosswalk reached a major milestone in its construction this week with flashing beacons coming on-line. Still to come is illumination. The City already had an active contractor on-site constructing sidewalks, so this safety work was able to advance by adding the work to an already existing contract. This combination allowed for a cost effective and speedier completion of Roosevelt over the other planned crossing safety projects, and contributed to less disruption to the sidewalk and street. The cost for this safety treatment was $120,000.

As part of a broader corridor approach to safety, the City identified many crossing needs of 3rd Street. In addition to Roosevelt Avenue, three more are included in the recently adopted City Capital Improvement Program. These are currently in design (Hawthorne Avenue, Central Oregon Irrigation Canal Trail, and Pinebrook Boulevard) to make it more convenient and safe to access goods, services, jobs and schools. These four crossings are integral to broader east-west Neighborhood Greenway routes and Trails that can allow more options for everyone trying to get around their community. Key safety features include high visibility warning signs and on-call flashing lights; a safety island refuge to allow crossing one direction at a time and increase visibility; and illumination to help everyone see each other better.

The Oregon Department of Transportation will be working on similar crossing treatments of 3rd Street north of Revere Avenue as well as across Greenwood Avenue at NE 4th Street and NE 6th Street as part of their recently approved Statewide Transportation Improvement Program over the next few years.

More information on the City’s larger safety project is located at http://saferbydesignbend.com/