Pedestrians Not So Friendly at Five Points

The 15-month-old Selby Five Points Roundabout will need more work this month to redirect pedestrians to safer crossings. 

It turns out that pedestrians aren't too friendly in the pedestrian-friendly circle.

“We have video of a pedestrian who put their hand out and stopped a vehicle,” roundabout project manager Mary Ellen Maurer told Patch. “That’s a pretty bold statement by a pedestrian.”

Work will begin Monday and last through Jan. 27. 

Two studies found that about 30 percent of pedestrians aren’t using the crosswalks between First Watch and Plaza Five Points, according to a letter sent to residents and business owners by the city. 

The two legs between First Watch and Selby Five Points Park and the park and the plaza are areas that have the most people not crossing at crosswalks, Maurer said.

One study was completed in April while the other was done in November during the snowbird season, she said.

Starting Monday, the city will remove brick pavers in the sidewalks and plants near and , Maurer said.

“It’s about a risk factor the city would want to take on as far as doing nothing,” she said. “We thought the risk was high for potential accidents.”

During the study, the consultant observed pedestrian behavior and also interviewed people at the intersection.

“Some people we stopped and asked them if they saw the crosswalk over there, and they said they didn’t know,” she said. “We had some people, they knew it, and they walked anyway. Those are the people you’re never going to stop. If they’re going to cross, they’re going to cross.” 

When first conceived, the project was touted to be pedestrian friendly, The Herald-Tribune reported in 2010:

“The roundabouts naturally make drivers slow down through the intersection, so it's more pedestrian friendly," project manager Mary Ellen Maurer said. "Most people are extremely pleased so far."

More than a year later, the city will work to keep people pleased.

Yellow footprints will guide pedestrians near Zenith and the new Floribbean Restaurant and Lounge, and planting areas will not be placed at those points due to right-of-way restrictions and visibility during parades, Maurer and Public Works General Manager Glenn Marzluf wrote to merchants and residents.

Raised curbs will be constructed to separate plant beds from the sidewalk, too. 

“We didn’t want to do any sign pollution,” she said.

There will be some delays during the project to stop lanes of traffic to deliver equipment and materials, and sections of the sidewalk will be closed during the project. 

The work will cost the $44,540, which will be paid out of the $58,750 worth of credits the city had coming back to it from the contractor, she said. Another $3,922 was spent performing the pedestrian study, interviews and modifications, said Alexandra Davis Shaw, engineering manager for the city.

Other than the pedestrian issue, the roundabout is doing its job, she said.

“It’s definitely (does) what it was intended to do — slow down vehicles to a reasonable speed,” she said.