July 2, 2004

New crosswalk signs installed on Lincoln Avenue

Designed to make street crossing safer

By Carol Rosen
Editor

Willow Glen became the first area within greater San Jose to place new lighted crosswalk signs in designated crosswalks.

The crosswalk signs on Lincoln between Aqui and Peets’ Coffee—one of Willow Glen’s most used crosswalks—are the first anywhere, Brian Girardot, president of Synchronex, which designed the signs, told the small crowd that gathered to be first to try out the new signs. He notes that there are some signs in Petaluma and other areas in the North Bay that use a similar technology, but are not the same.

The new signs combine three technologies including light emitting diodes (LEDs), which are lights within the sign that light up when the crosswalk button is pushed. Since there’s no electricity on the street, the signs use solar power to light up and a radio frequency technology to communicate with the crosswalk sign when the button is pushed. In addition, the message can be programmed.

The sign is a prototype offered on loan by Synchronex for an evaluation period of no more than four months, said
Laura Wells of the city’s department of transportation. The city has solicited quotes for bids for a second set of LED crosswalk signs that the transportation department hopes to have up by the end of the summer.

District 6 City Councilmember Ken Yeager has been an advocate of keeping the streets of Willow Glen in particular, and San Jose in general, safe for pedestrians. Several years ago, the councilmember pushed to get crosswalk signs placed in the streets in the middle of the crosswalk to ensure that drivers would slow down. However, those signs often are replaced due to accidents and vandalism.

Yeager has been working with the city’s transportation department to enhance pedestrian safety at the Lincoln Avenue crosswalks. “Downtown Willow Glen is the first place in the city this signage will be used,” he said. “I am very excited to be using this technology to improve safety for pedestrians on Lincoln Avenue.”

During the budget process, the city council reserved funds for these signs for this fiscal year. Once a second set of LED crosswalk signs go up, there will be an evaluation period of 90 days. The signs will roughly cost about $20,000 each, said Wells. That cost includes the signs and installation; they have to be put together because they do not come assembled with the solar panels and they need to plant them in footings on the grass strip of the sidewalk. However, once the signs are up and working, there is no cost to run or maintain them.

A second sign is being planned for the crosswalk near the Le Boulanger Bakery, with others on Lincoln to follow. Up to three other crosswalks will be enhanced with the new signs. The locations for these signs are being coordinated with the business and neighborhood associations after these first two signs are evaluated.

Some people expressed concern that the signs might not be seen by drivers in the left lane when a large truck or bus is in the right lane. The signs, which are between 6 and 7 feet high, could be eclipsed by large vehicles, including SUVs, buses and trucks block signs on the street from the middle lane.