By Mike Hazlip—
New fencing designed to discourage pedestrians from jaywalking across a historically dangerous portion of roadway is currently being installed near the intersection of Greenback Lane and Auburn Boulevard.
City Engineer Leslie Blomquist presented an update to the City Council earlier this month on the construction of the fencing. As of July 8, she said the project was about one-third complete, with fencing now visible in the center divide.
About 2,500 linear feet of fence panels and 160 signal heads were part of a roughly $950,000 construction contract awarded last December, according to Blomquist. Fencing will be located within median areas of three legs of the intersection, extending on both sides of Greenback Lane and one leg of Auburn Boulevard.
The project also includes upgrades to vehicle signal indications at 30 intersections, which are yellow reflective markings around traffic signals to increase visibility. The full project is expected to be completed in October of this year.
The design of the fence was a result of a decision-making process involving input from the community.
“Previously the type and aesthetic of this fence went through significant public engagement to select the product that is currently being installed,” Blomquist said.
The fencing is designed to protect public safety by discouraging jaywalking across the busy thoroughfare. A similar approach reduced pedestrian-related accidents along Greenback Lane between Birdcage Street and Mariposa Avenue, but the fencing there has been criticized for is “rustic” appearance.
During initial consideration of the median fencing in 2017, a police lieutenant told The Sentinel that nine pedestrians had been hit by vehicles within 500 feet of the Greenback-Auburn intersection in a 10-year period from 2006 to 2016, with three of those occurring in 2016. He said police were also aware of many more pedestrians running across the intersection outside of crosswalks, although they hadn’t been hit.
A previous report by The Sentinel shows the project uses funds from a $486,00 Highway Safety Improvement Project grant as well as funds from Measure A and several other sources. The project also includes various ADA upgrades and improvements at other intersections.
