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A safe crossing for Sherman Avenue and 13th Street

Please join us in funding a safe pedestrian and bicycle crossing for East Sherman at the intersection of Sherman Avenue and 13th Street!

Leader

Hilary Anderson

Location

Sherman Avenue and 13th Street Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814

About the project

The City and CDA 2030 are asking for community support to help raise money for a much needed signalized pedestrian/bike crossing at the intersection of Sherman Avenue and 13th Street.  A pair of solar powered pedestrian-activated rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) cost $7,033. The city will be buying RRFBs for the intersections of  9th and 21st streets, which are both school crossings.  But there is not enough money  in the city’s tight budget to purchase a third pair for this intersection.  So we are turning to our neighbors, friends, family, businesses, and East Sherman stakeholders to help make this a reality in 2016/2017! 

All donations are tax deductible!

What is an RRFB?

A Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon, or RRFB, is a pedestrian-activated warning device that consists of yellow LED rectangular flashing lights that draw attention to the crossing and provide information to approaching traffic that a bicyclist or pedestrian is trying to cross the street. Once the RRFB is activated, the rectangular-shaped beacons will begin to flash in an alternating, irregular pattern that is similar to emergency flashers on police vehicles.

What are the safety benefits of an RRFB?

RRFBs are low-cost safety improvements that have been proven to enhance pedestrian safety at uncontrolled, mid-block crosswalk locations. The top three benefits of an RRFB are:

  • Improved “yield to pedestrian” compliance from motorists;
  • Increased visibility and awareness of pedestrians and bicyclists who wish to cross the street;
  • Clearly communicates with approaching motorists that there may be someone in the marked crosswalk when the beacons are flashing, reducing the threat of a rear-end crash for motorists who are yielding to a crosswalk user. RRFB Systems warn drivers with brightly flashing LED arrays, reducing accidents and saving lives.

 

The Steps

We are kicking off the crowdfunding/crowdsourcing effort at the 2nd annual PARK(ing) IT ON SHERMAN block party event on September 16-17 and we are aiming to get a lot of community support and buy-in for this project!  Our goal is to raise the $7,033 in only six weeks so that we can purchase a pair of RRFBs for this intersection and have it installed before the snow starts to fly in Coeur d'Alene, and have all three RRFBs installed around the same time.

Why we‘re doing it

Improving Safety
Traffic counts on East Sherman range from 5,000 to 6,000 per day and 85 percent of the drivers are going 29 miles per hour.  If a pedestrian is hit by a car driving 31 mph, they have a 50 percent chance of being killed, according to AAA. The Federal Highway Administration reports that drivers yield 0 to 26 percent of the time with only a striped crosswalk.  TAPCO, a manufacturer of RRFBs, reports 80 to 90 percent and FHWA reports 72 to 96 percent driver yielding rates with an RRFB. This greatly reduces the chance of collisions and possible pedestrian fatalities.
Do It For Revitalization… and The Kids!
RRFBs will be a major step forward in revitalizing East Sherman by improving safety and accessibility for pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-drivers, and improving connectivity between the two sides of the business district and neighborhoods to the north and south of Sherman Avenue.  RRFBs at 13th Street will help encourage more pedestrian and bicycle traffic to popular business destinations lining the street, provide safe access to the Centennial Trail, the new Bike Boulevard on Young Avenue, the beach, and Tubbs Hill, and a safe crossing for students attending Lakes Middle School and the new Boys & Girls Club of Kootenai County.
Strong Support
There is strong support for signalized pedestrian crossings along East Sherman from the City's Pedestrian/Bicycle Advisory Committee, Coeur d’Alene School District, Sorensen Magnet School, Fernan STEM School, Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization, CDA 2030 and other local stakeholders.  Now we need your help!

$1,645.21 / $1,645.00