Want a Crosswalk on Your Street? Here’s How to Get One in NYS
Is there a particular stretch of road that has you worried about pedestrian safety? Has there already been person vs automobile incidents or accidents already, but no one seems to be doing anything about it?
Is it possible to have a crosswalk installed at a spot in the road (the well traveled road) that will help pedestrian traffic cross safely? Or is everyone just doomed to take their lives into their hands if they need to get from one side of a two-lane road in New York State?
What does New York State say is the definition of a crosswalk?
Technically anyone (if they want to take their lives into their own hands) can cross on the road, yes, their safety might be at risk, and in some towns/cities you might even get a ticket for doing it, but what does NYS legally define as a crosswalk?
A crosswalk is any area distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other pavement markings.
A crosswalk also is any part of the road at an intersection between the curbs on opposite sides of the roadway or, if there are no curbs, between the edges of the road. This area is considered a crosswalk, whether or not it is marked as one.
Sounds like pretty much every spot we want to cross at is simply an unmarked crosswalk? Maybe?
READ MORE: What to know before you "Adopt a Highway" in NYS
How can you get a crosswalk where there isn't already one in New York State?
Want to get a crosswalk on your street or in your town? The first place to go is to the town itself. See if there is anything that they can do. There will probably be a process and paperwork that has to be filled out, and then there will also be a traffic survey that will need to be done. If the crosswalk is deemed needed, depending on the time of year and the town, it could take up to a year to have it happen. The more people that ask for it the better.
You can also reach out to the New York State Department of Transportation, after you start with the local government. You will need to have the exact address of where you want the crosswalk to be installed and any additional information, for instance you might want to include things like fatalities or accidents in that spot. The time period, again will not be quick, but the more people you have involved, the more likely you will get a crosswalk, just be patient with the lengthy process.Depart
