Blog about design, development, transportation, planning in Indianapolis
Friday, March 6, 2009
What's wrong with this picture?
This is facing NE from the near the SW corner of the newly aligned Washington and Southeastern intersection, just east of downtown Indianpolis. So, what's wrong in this picture?
No crosswalk across Washington, and no pedestrian signal. No obvious way to cross east, either, since the right-turn light onto Southeastern is apparently always on.
So, a pedestrian starting east of Southeastern on Washington (say, someone who works at Angie's List) who wants to go to Hardees would have to walk on the north side of Washington to College, cross Washington there, then hazard the crossing over both the on-ramp and the off-ramp to get to his/her destination. Or alternately, walk east to Oriental, south to Southeastern, cross about an acre of pavement and RR trax to the south side of Southeastern, and proceed to Hardees.
The very definition of "you can't get there from here."
Of course, "those people" who frequent the Salvation Army and Horizon House on foot are no concern of the downtown movers and shakers.
How does that saying go...you can tell a lot about a society by the way it treats the less-fortunate?
Good observations, but I was looking for something more specific in regards to crossing Washington Street. You should hopefully be able to see that there is actually a pedestrian signal to cross Washington on the west side of the intersection.
There is also a missing light for turning onto Shelby/Southeastern from the Washington St westbound. I was riding my bike over here earlier today and it's a cluster****.
On Tuesday (03/10), the City covered up the eastbound right turn signals, which I would say is a better temporary fix that covering up the pedestrian signal. Now, if only they would move the Washington Street crossing to the east side of the intersection where there's much less threat of being run over at high speed by vehicles turning from Southeastern Avenue.
Yabut...you would still have to cross Southeastern/Shelby with cars coming at you from every which way to proceed west on Washington from the intersection.
It is now impossible for sheriffs to go from the Jail I between Washington & Maryland & Delaware directly on Washington to Jail II, tucked between the interchange and RR trax. There is no median cut, and there is a grand monument rising in the exact spot where one should be there. Plus, Davidson St. is one-way south.
The other day I saw a Sheriff van make a U-turn from eastbound Washington, cut across 3 lanes of westbound traffic, and duck in the wrong way on Davidson.
If you're crossing Washington St. around here you're likely traveling in a northerly or southerly direction, the natural route is to come north on Shelby and then take the brick alley directly across Shelby. So that's where you cross Washington St. You've already crossed Southeastern, that's easy. If traffic is light, Wash. St. is easy too. If it's heavy, well that's a bitch, maybe you have to seek out the crosswalk. But once you cross you eventually find Dorman. Southbound it's the reverse.
10 comments:
No crosswalk across Washington, and no pedestrian signal. No obvious way to cross east, either, since the right-turn light onto Southeastern is apparently always on.
So, a pedestrian starting east of Southeastern on Washington (say, someone who works at Angie's List) who wants to go to Hardees would have to walk on the north side of Washington to College, cross Washington there, then hazard the crossing over both the on-ramp and the off-ramp to get to his/her destination. Or alternately, walk east to Oriental, south to Southeastern, cross about an acre of pavement and RR trax to the south side of Southeastern, and proceed to Hardees.
The very definition of "you can't get there from here."
Of course, "those people" who frequent the Salvation Army and Horizon House on foot are no concern of the downtown movers and shakers.
How does that saying go...you can tell a lot about a society by the way it treats the less-fortunate?
Good observations, but I was looking for something more specific in regards to crossing Washington Street. You should hopefully be able to see that there is actually a pedestrian signal to cross Washington on the west side of the intersection.
Holy light-play, Batman, conflicting signals!
(I did not see the walk light until you pointed it out.)
The picture proves the old adage that it's possible to be "dead right" when not careful or observant.
Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. Hopefully, we don't have a real loser before the powers that be get this fixed.
There is also a missing light for turning onto Shelby/Southeastern from the Washington St westbound. I was riding my bike over here earlier today and it's a cluster****.
On Tuesday (03/10), the City covered up the eastbound right turn signals, which I would say is a better temporary fix that covering up the pedestrian signal. Now, if only they would move the Washington Street crossing to the east side of the intersection where there's much less threat of being run over at high speed by vehicles turning from Southeastern Avenue.
Yabut...you would still have to cross Southeastern/Shelby with cars coming at you from every which way to proceed west on Washington from the intersection.
I'm all for giving people options. They can then choose on which side of the intersection they'd like to risk their lives by attempting to cross.
Okay...this project just gets worse and worse.
It is now impossible for sheriffs to go from the Jail I between Washington & Maryland & Delaware directly on Washington to Jail II, tucked between the interchange and RR trax. There is no median cut, and there is a grand monument rising in the exact spot where one should be there. Plus, Davidson St. is one-way south.
The other day I saw a Sheriff van make a U-turn from eastbound Washington, cut across 3 lanes of westbound traffic, and duck in the wrong way on Davidson.
As another poster put it...clusterf*ck.
If you're crossing Washington St. around here you're likely traveling in a northerly or southerly direction, the natural route is to come north on Shelby and then take the brick alley directly across Shelby. So that's where you cross Washington St. You've already crossed Southeastern, that's easy. If traffic is light, Wash. St. is easy too. If it's heavy, well that's a bitch, maybe you have to seek out the crosswalk. But once you cross you eventually find Dorman. Southbound it's the reverse.
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