Crossing the street in this city always carries a bit of risk, but unmarked crosswalks often seem even more dangerous. Ask 96-year-old Gladys Ryan who was recently hit by a car while traversing a crosswalk at Santa Monica and Hancock in West Hollywood, and has since lost the ability to walk. According to the WeHo News, some city planners see these mid-block crossings as more harmful than helpful (some drivers not only don't see them, but some don't understand pedestrians have the right of way at them). WeHo is developing a new crosswalk policy that "identifies appropriate treatments for any given crosswalk" and "establishes engineering guidelines to justify removal of marked crosswalks at a given location." Another change could involve installing flashing pedestrian-signs (which have shown to greatly reduce accidents), or one councilman's idea of "[reducing] vegetation to grass level" to improve visibility. Officials are weighing the suggestions and will have specific recommendations for new safety procedures In two months.
· WeHo Changes Crosswalk Policy [WeHo News]
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