The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa., The Road Warrior column: PennDOT stimulates assists for pedestrians

Aug 03, 2009 (The Morning Call - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- WIMHF | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Q. About a month ago, we had traffic tied up for several weeks at Schantz and Ruppsville roads, only to find that they installed pedestrian-crossing signals at the intersection. There are no sidewalks, and I haven't seen more than three or four pedestrians cross these roads in four years. How else can we foolishly spend the taxpayers' money?

William Hill, Upper Macungie Township

Q. Recently wheelchair ramps were installed at Airport Road and Route 329. I've heard that stimulus money was used to fund this project; is there any truth in that? What is the reason for this project?The ramps are not accessible from any location.

Philip Herd, Bath

Q. A light was added to the intersection of Saucon Valley and Lanark roads about a year ago, replacing four-way stop signs. What seems unnecessary and a waste of money is the recent addition of crosswalks with lighted signs. I've never seen a pedestrian at this intersection. I would love to know how much these additions cost, who paid for them, and the justification for the work.

Frank Rochon, Coopersburg

A. Dan Heffelfinger of Bath also asked about the Airport Road/329 ramps, perplexed about the need for ramps at an intersection where pedestrians are few.

Regulations specify that pedestrian-crossing road markings and their attendant illuminated signs must be installed at new intersections, and at those where major road improvements are made, if pedestrians could be crossing the intersections -- not only if pedestrians are present, but if it's likely they will be in the area, said PennDOT traffic signals manager Tom Walter. That allows room for judgment, but when in doubt, I think engineers should opt to add crosswalks and signals.

Exceptions are allowed when physical impediments make installing the walks or signals unfeasible. Examples of such impediments could include steep roadside embankments or guide rails that would preclude the safe passage of pedestrians, said Bob Stone of Traffic Signals and Design of Center Valley and a former PennDOT engineer.

Pedestrian advocates contend that in part, it's a "build it and they will come" scenario -- we don't see pedestrians in some areas because walkers are dissuaded by the lack of crosswalks, signs and signal phases. The improvements encourage walking, a positive development in many respects.

Ped-X improvements aren't necessarily cheap. If sidewalks are present, wheelchair ramps are required, and in those cases, officials use a standard estimate of $7,000 per corner (each with two ramps) for a total of $28,000 per intersection, including the crosswalks, signals, ramps and everything else.

PennDOT engineer Gerald Fry told regional transportation planners recently that contractors' bids this year have been pleasantly surprising, averaging closer to $5,000 per corner, but that still amounts to about $20,000 per intersection. Nevertheless, these are subcompact sums compared to what we spend on roads overall.

One reason we'll see even more pedestrian-crossing hardware being added in the next few years is that the projects, which tend to be "shovel ready" with few design complexities, are being funded by federal stimulus money in our region.

In Northampton County, the construction of 279 ramps, or about 70 intersections' worth, is scheduled to be advertised for bids within weeks, the work to be done next year at an estimated cost of $1.64 million, said PennDOT engineer Bonnie Peters.

Whether through stimulus spending or otherwise, some 117,000 intersections statewide are expected to gain pedestrian improvements in the coming years, with an estimated $820 million sticker price, said PennDOT spokesman Rich Kirkpatrick.

In part, he said, that's the result of a settlement agreement stemming from a lawsuit by a handicapped citizens advocacy group initiated in Erie in 2002, and to which PennDOT was added in 2006. The settlement basically kicked into high gear the state's plans to make the improvements, Kirkpatrick said.

In some cases, the state is upgrading existing pedestrian-crossing systems to meet more stringent, updated regulations stemming from the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The new provisions include less-steep wheelchair ramps, better water-runoff capability, ramps directed from corner to corner instead of toward the center of intersections (which is why the new regulations specify two ramps per corner), and soft-touch push-buttons located closer to wheelchair landings.

The recent work at the Saucon Valley/Lanark intersection, where both the traffic and pedestrian signals were installed in spring 2008, is an example of this type of upgrade. The pedestrian signals were improved this year, PennDOT having formally adopted the new regs in November 2008 -- a case of unfortunate timing; had the new standards come out sooner, they could have been incorporated into the original design.

The improvements include installation of wheelchair landing pads, replacement of small spring-loaded activation buttons by the larger soft-touch controls, and on one corner, a "stub pole" with extension arms to bring those buttons within closer reach of pedestrians in wheelchairs.

Road Warrior appears Mondays and Fridays, and the Warrior blogs at mcall.com. E-mail questions about roadways, traffic and transportation, along with your name and the municipality where you live, to

hartzell@mcall.com, or write to Road Warrior, Box 1260, Allentown, PA 18105-1260.

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