Jeff, I have a solution that might please both pedestrians and gun rights advocates. Place a "shepherd's hook" at each corner on Third and hang a shotgun on each hook. When you wish to cross the street simply pick up the gun hanging on your corner and brandish it as you cross. I bet motorists would stop pretty quickly. When you are across the street simply hang the gun on the hook on that corner for the next pedestrian. Problem solved!

I have felt that the signs improved awareness and benefited pedestrians. I do see how they can confuse the unfamiliar into thinking it is a four-way stop though. Making them "Yield" signs instead would probably be a simple and inexpensive retrofit.

They could alway post one of those "cross traffic does not stop" signs underneath each of the stop signs in the offending intersections. I do like the sting idea give the tickets and watch Geneva be known for pedestrian friendliness.

A pressure-sensitive mat on the first 2 feet of the crosswalk - wired to a red light in the crosswalk that illuminates when a pedestrian steps on it

Post signs: "those earrings will still be there in 5 minutes, keep your eyes on the road"

Add an educational warning to the guides/maps the merchants hand out. We have new drivers every week in Geneva (tourists) so the problem regenerates itself weekly.

How have other towns tackled this? What does Geneva's insurer suggest? How did LA convince their tourists and locals (who admit to driving like bats outta hell) to heed ped warnings?

I'm confused. Why not just put in four way Stop Signs? This would probably alleviate everyone's confusion and make it much safer place for everyone. There's too many 'out of town' drivers (and walkers for that matter) who have difficulty conceptualizing the current concept.

I'm perplexed as to why motorists are confused by the current signage. The current signs, if I recall correctly, say that motorists should stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk, which they should, and that implies nothing about stopping at any time. Frankly, such motorists are going to be confused by any signage that is posted. I would also hasten to infer that these are the same motorists who stop, where there is no stop sign, going northbound or southbound on Third Street at the intersection with Hamilton Street.

But, there is a problem in downtown Geneva with motorists stopping for pedestrians who are crossing streets in proper, legal fashion. Perhaps a GPD-style warning campaign is in order. Maybe Geneva residents could be (re-)advised of the law via an insert in one of the monthly city utility bills. Perhaps, at the state level, the Secretary of State's office could put an insert in with all vehicle-registration renewals.

Although I agree with Jeff that most downtown business owners are much too staid to hear of making Third Street a mall-like, pedestrian-only thoroughfare now, I strongly feel that city planners really should begin thinking in that direction via instruments like the Downtown Master Plan. In the time-frame under the purview of such planning, cars are likely going to become too expensive to operate, and other forms of transport (including walking) are going to become primary. It behooves downtown business owners to be ready for that.

Okay, idea #2. A volunteer corps or "Third St. Ambassadors", maybe retirees or other civic minded individuals with some free time who enjoy interacting with people.

They can act as crossing guards at the busy intersections during the high traffic periods. They can also give directions, etc.

Well, they could put *some* stop signs up. That would make some sense. (Trying to go west across third at Fulton is a bit of a dare) The parked cars do block views of other motorists and pedestrians. They also could limit crosswalks to certain areas.

I am aware of the law as a motorist. I look for pedestrians and stop. But as a pedestrian I know that 90% of the drivers don't.

How many pedestrians have been struck by cars on third street in the last 3 years?

Jim,

That's not the real issue because I would also ask how many pedestrians feel like the new law is working for them? Trust me, it ain't!

Jeff

Jeff,

I agree that the little yellow pole reminding people to follow the law makes no sense. My point is why put it or anything else up in the first place? Kind of feels like a solution searching for a problem.

Jim,

I think the City and GPD felt the signs would raise consciousness more than they would protect the pedestrians. The problem is, the motorist first mindset is so ingrained that I believe only educational traffic stops will work.

Jeff

The signs should come down because they are confusing to some and they have/will cause accidents. The law is good but pedestrians also need to know they have to give ample time for the car to stop. A car doing the speed limit has the right of way if there is no one in the crosswalk and someone just steps/jogs or walks in front of the car and the driver does not have time to react I saw someone in downtown Batavia push a stroller in front of them in a crosswalk and yell at a driver that had not stopped and they backed off. The person was not in the street yet and the car was already travelling down the road, Batavia has/had similar warning signs and I believe people think those are real stops signs and they are not.

I spend a lot of time on three street with my wife and four year old son. My experiance with the signage as a motorist and pedistiran has been positive.

As a pedistrian you need to get out there a bit and make eye contact with the oncoming traffic. Once they see you, more often than not, they give you the wave through. We in turn give the old courtesy wave back for good measure. My son initially yelled stop and put his arm and hand out straight but I have since corrected that behavior and now he waves and says thank you.

As a motorist I did initially have to read the sign to figure out protocol. It's pretty clear that if pedistrians are present then you need to stop and let them cross. So as I come up to the signs I slow down and look for folks trying to cross. If they are present then I wave them through. Some give me the courtesy wave back and some don't.

IMHO the signs work. 3rd street is a strolling and slow cruising experiance. Not sure what the speed limit is but it shouldn't be above 20 MPH in my opinion. We have not experianced many problems crossing and like I said earlier people usually always see us and stop so that we can cross and we are on 3rd street a lot. I don't think you will ever get 100% compliance without putting stop signs up.

Have there been a lot of reported problems? Accidents? Complaints? etc.....

John Rice

The problems of distractions and unwarranted assumptions are not affected by these silly little signs.