The response of Poulsbo city officials to the incidents of pedestrians being struck by vehicles — one pedestrian died — is weak and insufficient. There were expressions of sympathy at the Dec. 20 City Council meeting, The mayor warned motorists to watch for pedestrians and for pedestrians to wear reflective clothing and make sure motorists see them.
Those words do nothing to improve pedestrian safety on city streets. Neither do the reflective flags the city placed for pedestrians to carry with them as they cross Iverson Street at 8th Avenue. The issue, at least in the fatal collision on Front Street and Torval Canyon Road, is whether marked crosswalks are clearly visible at all times.
An Olympic High School student, Regina Monzon, was seriously injured when she was struck by a car in a crosswalk in Bremerton in 2012. The car was heading south. Monzon was the second student struck at that crosswalk.
The problem, according to one of Monzon’s lawyers, was the placement of the existing street light in relation to the crosswalk. To a northbound driver, the pedestrian would be front-lit and visible, the lawyer said. To a driver heading south, a pedestrian in the crosswalk would be backlit, silhouetted and difficult to see. That’s why, the lawyer said, the driver didn’t see Monzon in the crosswalk.
The circumstances in Monzon’s case are similar to those that led to the death of Pamela Romberg, who was walking her dog in a marked crosswalk Dec. 15 on Front Street at Torval Canyon Road in Poulsbo. It was about 7:45 a.m. The motorist, who was not charged, said she simply didn’t see Romberg in the crosswalk.
Admonishing motorists and pedestrians to be safe won’t make that crosswalk safer. Neither will reflective pedestrian flags.
How many people need to be injured or killed crossing our streets before the city takes action? The city must act now.
The city must explore what solutions are employed by other cities and use them here. Some of those solutions:
1. Lighted signage that warns of a pedestrian crossing ahead.
2. Crosswalk signs that have LED lights for better visibility at a greater distance.
3. In-pavement crosswalk lights that are activated by push button and create a visual, and visible, boundary.
4. Radar speed-indicator signs, to remind motorists to slow down.
Real solutions exist. The result — safer streets — is worth the cost. Now is the time for the city to take action before another life is lost.
— The North Kitsap Herald editorial board consists of Terry Ward, publisher; Donna Etchey, general manager; and Richard Walker, managing editor
