Pershing-Duff crosswalk project could be complete by December

Oct. 17--CHEYENNE -- After years of talk and planning, the city is one step away from taking action on a crosswalk at East Pershing Boulevard and Duff Avenue long sought by advocates for people with disabilities and at least two Ward 1 leaders.

The Cheyenne City Council's Finance Committee voted 2-0 on Monday to recommend the full governing body accept a $76,300 bid for the work and greenlight the project when it meets next week. The city stands to spend less than expected; city staff had estimated the project would cost roughly $115,000.

If approved Monday, documents show the deadline for completion would be Dec. 1.

A contractor would install rapidly flashing signals on the east side of the intersection for pedestrians to activate with a button and a 7 1/2 -foot-long median on Pershing Boulevard where pedestrians could be safe if they didn't make it all the way across the street in time.

The signals have proved successful in stopping traffic and keeping pedestrians safe in some cities along the Front Range and in other Western states.

The council asked the Metropolitan Planning Organization in 2013 to study the intersection at the urging of disability advocates who worried about how frequently people, including those with disabilities, were crossing the busy street there to pick up medications at Hoy's Drugs, make appointments at Frontier Access and Mobility or get lunch at Dairy Queen.

The MPO came back in 2015 recommending a crosswalk there as part of a larger Pershing Boulevard study; former Ward 1 Councilwoman Annette Williams pushed a resolution to fund the project last year.

Patti Riesland, chairwoman of the Mayor's Council for People with Disabilities, said Monday the crosswalk is still needed, despite the closure of Hoy's in March.

"I've seen kids biking and standing in the middle of the street many times," she said. "And although we did not foresee Hoy's closing, we hope there will be a replacement soon and that all people will be able to cross the street and visit it and the other businesses safely."

Tracy Batson, a customer service representative at Frontier Access and Mobility, which sits at the southeast corner of the intersection, said it could only be a good thing for clients with disabilities and nearby residents.

"Some of our clients with long appointments sometimes like to go across the street to (Dairy Queen) for lunch," she said. "And we do have some kids in the houses south of us that like to go across to get ice cream, especially in the summer months."

And Councilman Pete Laybourn, whose Ward 1 includes the intersection, said the crosswalk will also help unite the sides of the small area bounded on either side by residential neighborhoods and encourage growth.

"The redevelopment of that area is something I look forward to," he said.

___

(c)2017 Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne, Wyo.)

Visit Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne, Wyo.) at www.wyomingnews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.