Last night we published a letter on which we were cc’d, from Denise Sharify of High Point’s Neighborhood House, regarding some long-fought-for High Point-area pedestrian-safety improvements that are apparently finally on the way. This afternoon, we got the official details from SDOT communications boss Rick Sheridan and wanted to share that with you too:

Having made a commitment to review pedestrian crossings on SW Morgan Street, SDOT conducted three site visits to the neighborhood to observe existing conditions,
pedestrian usage, and driver behavior. We also consulted with Seattle Public
Schools on students’ routes to West Seattle Elementary School. A representative of
Seattle Public Schools also visited the site to meet with community advocates and
discuss neighborhood experiences.

Based on the collected data and the preferred routes for students from Seattle
Public Schools, the recommended crossing location will be at 31st Avenue SW/Lanham
Place SW & SW Morgan Street, which will feature a new signal, crosswalks and
sidewalks. However, due to construction activities ongoing at the High Point
Project, this crossing location will not be open to the public until October 2008 at
the earliest.

To ensure the safety of schoolchildren and other pedestrians, SDOT will temporarily
install a marked crosswalk on the east side of the intersection of 34th Avenue SW &
SW Morgan St. Reduced speed zone signage will be emplaced in advance of the
crosswalk and additional signage will be installed at the crosswalk itself featuring
arrows pointing directly at the pavement markings. This new crosswalk and signage
should be installed, weather permitting, by April 25.

The temporary crosswalk will be removed once the new signal and sidewalks at the
intersection of 31st Ave SW/Lanham Pl SW & SW Morgan are available to the public.