Some safety observations from me..a visually impaired pedestrian.
As a community member who crosses at Callowhill and Euclid almost daily using my white cane or guide dog, I have noticesd some navigation adjustments that I have had to consider. I think the new traffic circles will require extra caution from drivers and pedestrians. Here are 2 things that I wanted to offer for drivers and pedestrians to think about while traveling through the Euclid Neighborways. I will explain from my specific point of view as a visually impaired individual but this would be apllicable to many pedestrians and drivers. 1. While breaking the sight line directly down the street might be effective to reduce speeding It also puts me at risk for not being seen. When previously crossing this intersection I could identify an oncoming car and be assured that they would most likely stop at the stop sign. This gave the driver an opportunity to see me and gave me the clear opportunity to cross, often making contact with the driver so that they were aware that I might need a little extra time to cross. There is security in knowing that the driver can see you. With the current circle, not only does the driver not have to stop but they will be looking either to the left or the right as they go around the circle and will only see me when they are right near me and may not be prepared to stop if I am in the middle of crossing, even if they are going slowly. Also if there are tall plants in the middle that will further obscure the drivers ability to see a pedestrian. 2. When crossing with the circle I have noticed that cars and trucks get much closer to the edge of the sidewalk when going around the circle and that it is very tight with little room to adjust. My guide dog is trained to find the curb when we approach a street crossing and I also use the curb with my white cane to prepare to cross. If I stand at the curb to cross with the circle there is a good chance I could be hit. I have seen large trucks really struggle to get around the narrow circle so if a driver is not being careful they could go right up and over the curb. I offer my experiences to you to share my unique way of moving In the world in hopes of keeping everyone safe. Thank you for your consideration. Mia
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Mia Boccella Hartle