The way forward: Better lighting, signals, signs and ramps

By Dug Begley STAFF WRITER

Redesigning Houston-area intersections so they are safer for pedestrians and bicyclists is well within reach of local officials. They just need a little money, a little time and a little more consideration of how streets are really used.

“There is some pretty good stuff out there, with some challenges,” said Ian Hlavacek of Houston Public Works, during a discussion of six problem intersections.

Problems typically fall into three categories: Drivers cannot see pedestrians, pedestrians cannot see drivers, or the road isn’t built to let them safely share the right of way.

Numerous intersections along Bellaire in Chinatown, improved in the past four years, have wide sidewalks and nice ramps at crossings for disabled residents. Still, the intersections lack reflective paint, and ramps are a step or two away from lanes where cars speed around turns.

Towering beige pillars for streetlight poles, meant to give the area a distinctive look, also give the intersections poor visibility. The wide bases in some spots block drivers and pedestrians from seeing one another.

“From a car standpoint, this is a great intersection,” said Jeff Weatherford, deputy director of city public works in charge of traffic operations. “From a pedestrian standpoint, not so much.”

The region is littered with similar situations: Crosswalk lines long faded by the Texas sun or washed away by heavy Gulf storms. Cracked sidewalks that end in muddy messes where road trash and debris collects. A lack of proper signs telling drivers to expect bicyclists and share the road where cycling is common.

“That’s cheap and easy stuff,” said Christof Spieler, a former member of the Metropolitan Transit Authority board who has advocated for more walkable design of local streets.

A number of options abound, advocates and officials say:

Light it up

Major crossings in the Houston area, especially along frontage roads in communities where walking is more common, should be well lit and striped with reflective materials to improve the chances of drivers seeing pedestrians and others. Fondren, in southwest Houston, has many faded and poorly lit locations. High-visibility crosswalks can reduce crashes by 23 to 48 percent, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

Timing is everything

Many signals in Houston are timed so pedestrians receive a signal to walk when lights turn green. Sometimes that means a driver hooking a right doesn’t think someone is about to step off the sidewalk, a common problem in downtown. Re-timing the lights so a pedestrian gets a slight head start of a second or two allows them to proceed into the intersection, where they are more noticeable.

Don’t hide the signs

Restricting where people can take right turns on red is only half of the solution to safety. Officials must alert drivers to the rules with clear, easy-to-spot signs. Along some Houston streets, even where there is a prohibition on right turns on red, such as Bellaire and Ranchester, the signs are hard to see.

Parking protection

In areas such as Montrose, onstreet parking can provide an added layer of safety by putting something — cars — between moving traffic and pedestrians.

Bridging the gap

Freeways slice through many communities, such as Gulfton, where apartments are on one side and many jobs are on the other. Large pedestrian bridges in the middle of major blocks could help get them to work and back home safely.

Seeing red

Along Navigation and in Rice Village, major pedestrian crossings outfitted with flashing red lights that give pedestrians their own mid-block crossing have helped corral jaywalking and connected people to destinations. Another is going in on Montrose Boulevard, near the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s new outdoor space.

Making safe spaces

Houston-area drivers love their turn lanes, but they offer little relief for pedestrians and cyclists. Adding well-placed medians, such as along Washington at Patterson in the Rice Military area, could give people trying to cross the street a halfway point where they could see oncoming traffic. On major streets, such as Bellaire, the medians also give those who can’t make it all the way across in time a place to wait.

Increased visibility for drivers, pedestrians at core of solutions