Springfield News-Leader reader claims that new pedestrian crossing causes problems | News-Leader

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

The city has installed a new pedestrian crossing mid-block on South Glenstone with flashing lights and sign directions and is now enduring a boatload of motorist complaints. Of course there are complaints. The City Traffic Department has interrupted the flow of traffic on one of the busiest thoroughfares in the State of Missouri! Who in their right mind came up with such a fool idea?

To place a crosswalk that breaks up the traffic flow on a thoroughfare that historically has had none since time began is insane. Moreover, the interruption is so confusing to motorists that I fear it will be the location of numerous and serious pedestrian and rear-end collision injuries. Glenstone Avenue has always had a problem with traffic flow signalization. It certainly needs no more. What’s next, a cattle crossing?

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Springfield News-Leader reader claims that new pedestrian crossing causes problems | News-Leader

MoBikeFed comment: This letter sums up an attitude that for far too long has prevailed in Missouri--that our cities and our streets are built for cars and cars alone.

Thanks to leadership from citizens and enlightened officials from around the state, this attitude is slowly but surely changing in Missouri. No longer do we build wide, fast streets that cut through cities and neighborhoods, and then only decades later start to think about addressing safety and access for people who need to walk or bicycle in their neighborhood or across town.

Kudos to Springfield City and Springfield Public Works for creating better, safer pedestrian access on streets like South Glenstone. May this new crosswalk be the first of many.

Cities are built for people, not for automobiles.