LEWISTON — Following three pedestrian deaths over the span of a year, a report outlining the most accident-prone intersections of the city — and possible fixes — will be presented to the City Council at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
In November 2016, dozens of residents packed the council chambers for a community forum in response to the death of 13-year-old Jayden Cho-Sargent, who was killed Nov. 3 on his way to school.
A year earlier, two pedestrians were killed within a month of each other.
The report, compiled from heavy community feedback and data from the Maine Department of Transportation, will be presented to the full City Council during a workshop March 7.
According to City Councilor Kristen Cloutier, the report was developed to help focus city efforts to improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and those who use wheelchairs.
Cloutier, along with state Sen. Nate Libby and School Committee Chairwoman Linda Scott, compiled the report with help from Lauren Colucci, a public health intern at the University of Southern Maine’s L-A College.
It identifies a number of problem intersections based on a tiered system. Tier 1 intersections, meaning the most hazardous, include the intersection of Sabattus, Webster and Ash streets, and Central Avenue (Five Corners), the intersection of East Avenue and Lisbon Street, the intersection of Ash and Bartlett streets, the intersection of Bartlett and College streets, and numerous others.
Lisbon Street near Bleachery Hill and Scribner Boulevard was also repeatedly mentioned by residents in November.
All Tier 1 intersections overlap with those that K-12 students may use as routes to schools. Cloutier said the report was also vetted by Craig Saddlemire of the Lewiston-Auburn Bike-Ped Committee and City Councilor Michael Lachance.
Feedback used in the report also was taken from emails to elected officials, a pedestrian safety Facebook page, and through crash data from the Maine Department of Transportation.
According to Cloutier, the second half of the report offers recommendations and next steps for addressing the concerns but does not make specific recommendations for specific intersections or areas.
“Those decisions will need to be made on an individual basis by MDOT, the Lewiston Public Works department and the Lewiston City Council, as treatments should be utilized where and when appropriate, and not all treatments will be appropriate for all areas,” she said.
During the forum in November, a number of residents spoke strongly about the dangers that pedestrians face and the need for intersection upgrades for busy streets with no crosswalks or crosswalks that are difficult to see. Many said problems also come from people driving too fast or while distracted.
Kellie Foley, the mother of Cho-Sargent, was among those who spoke in November. She held a photo of her son, provoking an emotional response.
The report outlines both short-term and long-term solutions.
Short-term fixes include additional lighting at crosswalks, flashing crosswalk lights, signs or beacons, or additional signals at busy intersections.
Longer-term projects would include traffic-calming measures often used by the MDOT: raised crosswalks, bike lanes and “pedestrian refuge islands,” where pedestrians can wait while crossing the street in two phases.
Also included in the report are next steps, which lay out specific goals for the city, its school department, its legislative delegation and the MDOT moving forward.
The conclusion of the report states, “Improving safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and those who use wheelchairs is a priority of the elected officials and administration in the city of Lewiston, and we remain committed to reducing fatalities and serious injuries on our roadways through the use of proven safety countermeasures as outlined in this report.”
According to data contained in the report, there were 224 crashes involving pedestrians between 2006 and 2016, resulting in five fatalities and 30 “incapacitating injuries.”
Cho-Sargent was run over and killed the morning of Nov. 3 as he was walking on Main Street, near Frye Street, on his way to school.
On Nov. 18, 2015, an 84-year-old man was struck and killed while walking at the intersection of Lisbon Street and Webber Avenue.
On Dec. 7, 2015, a 53-year-old woman was struck and killed while crossing Lisbon Street near the Lewiston Mall.
Sen. Libby said last month that he spoke with MDOT officials following the fatal crash involving Cho-Sargent. He said MDOT agreed to send a team of traffic engineers to the city once the snow clears, to look at possible fixes.
Cloutier said she’ll present the report Tuesday, with additional input coming from City Administrator Ed Barrett and Public Works Director David Jones.
“My greater hope is that those who offered feedback hear their voices reflected in the report, and more importantly, in the work we do moving forward as a community to make our streets safer for everyone,” Cloutier said.
arice@sunjournal.com
Lewiston City Council President Kristen Cloutier, front left, state Sen. Nate Libby and School Committee Chairwoman Linda Scott host a community forum on pedestrian safety at Lewiston City Hall in November 2016, following the third pedestrian fatality over the span of a year. The group will present a report Tuesday.
* The entire pedestrian safety report can be viewed here.
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