Are Lewiston crosswalks safe?

One of many crosswalks in downtown Lewiston.

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Story Published: Oct 9, 2008 at 10:40 PM PST

Story Updated: Nov 21, 2008 at 2:19 AM PST

By Anne Harding

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LEWISTON - Pedestrian safety has been at the forefront in Moscow lately.

But officials in Lewiston say with foot traffic lower than Moscow, the probability of an accident is much lower as well. Even so, some say there's no such thing as a fool-proof plan.

City Public Works Director Chris Davies said it helps to have an understanding of state law, which says you have to be in a position to cross the street in order to have the often-assumed right-of-way.

"We put some markings on the pavement," said Davies. "For individuals that do want to cross in the crosswalk to say 'step here.' Which basically gets them in a legal position under state code. You really need to be in the crosswalk before cars are required to stop."

While it's not an excuse, driver's don't also see street-crossers. Davies said some pedestrians in some communities use orange flags when they cross, and the City of Lewiston is considering pedestrian islands in the middle of some of the downtown crossings.

"A vehicle may stop in the first lane, and the pedestrian comes out and the car that's coming up on the side may not see them," said Davies. "So that may be something we're looking at."

In the Valley, you're generally safe if you stay in the crosswalks. Lewiston Police said, since 1984, motorists have only hit two pedestrians within the boundaries of a crosswalk.

The only way to avoid it all together: separate the two completely, either with an overpass or underpass. Davies said that comes with a heavy cost. The question becomes: Do you want to pay more money for improvements, or just pay a little better attention?

"We could put in all the signs," said Davies. "We could reduce the speed limit. We can do all these things, but it really takes the interaction between the pedestrians and the motoring public.”

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