Finance Committee - 8/1/2018 Page 4
Alderman Caron
Thank you, so this is replacing the bottom flashing lights, are we having issues, because it is not very old.
Mayor Donchess
Well those don’t really work and they have been deactivated because of that. Apparently we weren’t involved
in that decision but apparently the thought was that this would work and there is a set of these in Keene where
it does work but the set in Keene is on a smaller street that doesn’t get the traffic or the plow activity that Main
Street does. So the plows tend to knock these out of service and then they haven’t been reliable for quite a
while and they were deactivated.
So it is the thinking of Public Works that the mid-block crossing on the bridge is not safe enough and there
should be more warning for oncoming drivers. So this would be an above-ground, this is not on the street, this
is an above-ground flashing light which can be activated by a pedestrian to get a driver’s attention when they
cross at night or in the day.
Alderman Caron
So we tried it and it doesn’t work so we need to do something, because it is a very busy area. Thank you.
Mayor Donchess
This will be similar to what you have down near Rivier.
Alderman Caron
Ok and that works very well, thank you.
Alderman Klee
Sorry for every question but | can tell you that | was one of those people that were getting a lot of phone calls
for near-misses because of nothing being there. And then we did put up a daytime green yellow light, | mean a
sign which helps but to have something that is activated, especially with the traffic, so I’m glad to see this go
through.
Alderman O’Brien
Thank you. | know we are talking about one specific location here, but | would like to note that if this is a
hardier system, which | think it will be because it is not going to be affected by the weather and the plows and
everything, there are other crosswalks on Main Street. It always seems to me at times to be what | would call
like the passing lane and somebody is coming from your left and they are crossing and they make the island,
but they don’t see what is coming at them on the far right hand lane.
If this is a hardier system, if it is economical and works out in time, | would encourage my point of view is to
encourage maybe looking at them all and increase the safety of our pedestrians on Main Street; just my
opinion, thank you.
Mayor Donchess
Any other discussion?
MOTION CARRIED
