The walk signs on East Third Avenue and College Drive don’t work half the time and are a safety issue. A pedestrian pushes the button multiple times, and the walk sign only occasionally comes on. Two different times over the last few weeks, I spoke with Colorado Department of Transportation workers who were monkeying around with the impressive traffic control box on the corner. The first one explained that the situation is, “Just the way it is.” If a car gets to the intersection first, the technology starts a sequence and a pedestrian can push the button, wait a minute or so until the east-west traffic clears. It doesn’t register until the next cycle, if at all.
The other worker just shrugged and chuckled. Last night, after three cycles of no-walk signs, we just jaywalked and hoped we didn’t get hit. Later in the evening, I watched as a tourist family had the same experience. That’s a mighty big control box with lots of electronics in it. Shouldn’t it control something, and shouldn’t pedestrian safety be the priority at an intersection?
Rhys Schrock
Durango
