Opis
A crosswalk has been needed for years at the intersection of 55th Street and Dover, between MLK and Shattuck Avenue. Cars drive at advanced speeds and pass other cars since the street is quite wide (even with the addition of the bike lanes neighbors suggested). Due to its location between several freeway on and off ramps, along with the street's width, drivers treat this stretch of road as a freeway extension. At the residential intersection of 55th and Dover, residents and neighborhood visitors and Children's Hospital Oakland employees (often children and seniors) routinely cross to reach the hospital, the popular Dover Street Park (@Dover/59th), the North Senior Oakland Senior Center, CHORI, and the bus stops (two well-used AC Transit lines run down 55th Street) on either side of the street. Although not a formal bike route, Dover Street is also heavily utilized by bicyclists. Crossing for pedestrians and bikers is often an impossible task due to the lack of signage and a steady stream of speeding cars (some passing other cars in the oncoming lane at even higher speeds). It is particularly difficult to cross during the winter, when residents coming home from work must disembark from buses and try to cross the street after dark (and sometimes in the rain). Pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers would benefit greatly from a large reflective thermoplast crosswalk and reflective signage at 55th/Dover to alert drivers to the presence of pedestrians (particularly children and seniors) for whom they should slow down.
26 Skomentujs
Potwierdzone City of Oakland (Verified Official)
Robert Prinz (Zarejestrowany użytkownik)
Thanks for reporting this. I just recently got a crosswalk installed a couple blocks away at 55th and Genoa after a year of back and forth emails and phone calls with the city. My observations since the installation have been that auto traffic has indeed slowed a bit at the intersection, and drivers are much more likely to stop and allow pedestrians to cross. I was going to put some signs up at Dover/55th to alert the residents and get someone there to request one at that location as well but it looks like you beat me to it.
Dover/55th is almost the exact same situation as Genoa/55th, meaning an "uncontrolled" intersection with traffic signals a long block away on both sides. The city of Oakland has something called a "crosswalk decision matrix" (available at http://www.scribd.com/doc/47630200/Crosswalk-Location-Decision-Matrix-01-20-11) which is supposed to be used to determine if an intersection is appropriate for a crosswalk. Starting at the top left box you can answer "yes" for this location all the way to the bottom of the chart, meaning a crosswalk is recommended.
If you would like more details regarding who to contact and for what I would be glad to share the info I've accumulated over the past year. If your request is denied please make sure to follow up with specifics about the location, and reference the crosswalk decision matrix. Hopefully you won't have to wait a year and two months like I did.
s parker (Zarejestrowany użytkownik)
sparker
Robert Prinz (Zarejestrowany użytkownik)
The various crosswalk treatment options can also be found online here, via different flow chart: http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca/groups/pwa/documents/report/oak025058.pdf
For 55th/Dover it looks like a white crosswalk with cross-hatched lines is recommended, but possibly without signage or flashing lights.
katinthehat (Zarejestrowany użytkownik)
Mary Young (Guest)
Robert Prinz (Zarejestrowany użytkownik)
Yeah Kat, I have also dealt with city employees giving me frustratingly bad information to justify inaction. Sometimes I have been able to counter them using details from the city's own guidelines and design standards, but as an average citizen why should I have to even know more than them about this stuff?
If anyone is interested in pursuing this further I'd recommend coming to the Oakland Bike/Pedestrian Advisory Committee at City Hall (upstairs conference room) on Thursday, June 20th, 5:30-7:30pm. Meetings are held every third Thursday if you can't make this one. The city bike/ped planners will be there who are very intelligent and responsive to concerns, and although they are not responsible for individual crosswalk implementation they can at least inform you about how to best proceed if you run into any trouble and connect you with the individuals responsible.
Robert Prinz (Zarejestrowany użytkownik)
Lynn Beldner (Guest)
Could we ask Children's Hospital to help with the crosswalk? There employees park in front of
my house everyday. Also lots of families park on my block of Dover too. Then they
have to cross 55th street to get to the hospital.
They might be able to get it to happen.
Lynn
56 + Dover
Yasmin Anwar (Guest)
katinthehat (Zarejestrowany użytkownik)
Andrea (Guest)
I thought one of the reasons that perhaps they approved the crosswalk at Genoa is because that is a bike boulevard. Perhaps the City doesn't realize that Dover too is a de facto bike boulevard, mainly for folks going up towards campus.
Also, almost everyday there is a regular parade of folks going from the Hospital up to the Chiori research campus, along with families going up to the park etc...And as others have noted 55th is a regular speedway for folks going up to Highway 24. This all makes for a very dangerous situation!!
The pedestrian/bicycle usage of Dover has most definitely changed in the last couple of years, as the neighborhood itself has improved. So, maybe it's time for a new traffic survey, City of Oakland!
I realize that a good cross walk probably costs $5K-$10K and that COO is strapped for funds, but must someone really be injured (or worse), before any action is taken???
Andrea
56+Dover
Robert Prinz (Zarejestrowany użytkownik)
Hi Andrea. Crosswalks can not legally be used by bicyclists unless they are connecting to parts of an off-street bike path, so for both 55th/Genoa and 55th/Dover bike access shouldn't even be a consideration. Bike lanes will be striped on Shattuck within the next few months so if anything the number of cyclists using Dover will be going down.
With the number of pedestrians and the proximity to multiple bus stops there is plenty of justification for a crosswalk at 55th/Dover anyway.
Cynthia (Guest)
Anna Kingsley (Guest)
eastbaybirdnerd (Zarejestrowany użytkownik)
Oaklander (Zarejestrowany użytkownik)
Jeff Schoenhard (Guest)
Amy Morgan (Guest)
Robert Prinz (Zarejestrowany użytkownik)
katinthehat (Zarejestrowany użytkownik)
Lynn (Guest)
Yeah! Our neighborhood is so grateful and feels safer! Thanks so much City of Oakland!!!!
Lynn
Cynthia Barnes Slater (Guest)
Dear Neighbors:
I agree - and support - a crosswalk between Shattuck and MLK at 55th St. However, the process of getting it implemented is laborious and requires analysis of the traffic in the area, plus input from the Fire Dept, police, etc. regarding the impact on first response in case of an emergency. I remember how long, and how many meetings it took to get the traffic calming aspects of the front of Bushrod Park. Unfortunately, we have to engage face to face, and not just rely on email to make change happen in our neighborhood. I am willing to help because I think we need to prevent accidents and trade gives with the increase in cars, and foot traffic, bikes in our community.
Best,
Cynthia
58th St/ 11x
Robert Prinz (Zarejestrowany użytkownik)
P Dill (Zarejestrowany użytkownik)
James (Zarejestrowany użytkownik)