The beacons are high-intensity flashing lights that warn drivers when pedestrians or bicyclists are entering the crosswalk.
The flashing beacons are important for safety and offer a reasonable solution, said Laura Rea, a BANTAC member.
“These rectangular rapid flashing beacons are a very economical, solar powered self-contained and recommended by the Federal Highway Administration as a safe solution to improve safety at crosswalks,” she said.
About 11,000 vehicles use Grange Hall each day, according to daily traffic count data provided by city staff. An estimated 8,500 vehicles travel Factory Road daily.
“At rush hour in particular in the evening, we have a lot of people riding their bikes with their family after work,” Rea said. “A lot of people out walking. It’s close to neighborhoods. And the Grange Hall crossing at Creekside Trail is pretty dangerous.”
Rea pointed to several vehicle crashes involving bicycles on Factory Road where it crosses Creekside Trail within the last two years.
Early cost estimates for flashing beacon signage systems are around $19,440, according to city documents.
Beavercreek workers would have to install the flashing beacons, however the city doesn’t anticipate a significant cost for installation,” said Mike Thonnerieux, the Beavercreek public administrative services director. .
If city council approves the safety improvements, they would be included in the 2017 roads budget.
“Once that budget process starts, we can start to prioritize some of the projects and figure out which projects will be funded and which ones won’t,” Thonneriuex said.
The city will also seek federal and state grants to help fund the flashing beacons, Thonnerieuex added.
Other improvements the city has made to increase safety for bicyclists and pedestrians include adding stop and other signs on the trail to warn users about upcoming intersections.
The city also varied the type of materials used to pave the trail to serve as an early warning system of an upcoming intersection. Asphalt, which is used on most of the trail is swapped out for concrete as you get closer to the intersection.
“So it helps the user that’s bicycling and looking down to notice in advance of the intersection that something’s changing,” Thonneriuex said. “It may be a good time to look up.”
On Grange Hall Road, the city has added a raised curb median to create a safety zone for bicyclists and trail users.
“We’re trying to make motorists, as they’re coming through the area, see something differently and hopefully it serves as a speed control for them and slows them down a little bit,” Thonnerieux said.
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