Calabasas to try crossing flag program for pedestrians

By Michael Picarella pic@theacorn.com

CROSSING AID-About 20 crossing flags would be stored in a tube like the one shown here. The city of Calabasas plans to mount the tube on an existing sign pole at the Parkway Calabasas location. The design shown here has since been modified a bit, city officials said.

In a move geared toward the greater safety of pedestrians—especially Bay Laurel Elementary School students—a new "crossing flag" program near the roundabout on Parkway Calabasas at Camino Portal in Calabasas will be implemented. Those who wish to cross the street at the location will pick up a flag and walk with it through the crosswalk.

The flag, a "crossing aid," according to Calabasas Transportation/Intergovernmental Relations Director Robert Yalda, will give motorists a better view of pedestrians. Each flag is a wooden stick about 24 inches long with a bright-colored piece of fabric stapled on top.

The Calabasas Traffic and Transportation Commission recently approved a two-month trial crossing flag program. The system, if successful, could expand to other locations such as Paul Revere Drive at Liberty Bell Road, according to Yalda.

Pedestrian traffic at the Parkway Calabasas location is heavy, according to Yalda. He hopes to install a Smart Crosswalk at the site in the future.

"This is a location where a lot of cars are whizzing through there and looking for other cars," said Calabasas Assistant Transportation Planner Tom Gdala. "Quite often, the pedestrians have complained to us that there are some close calls and that (motorists) really notice (pedestrians) last. So maybe with this little orange flag waving around, it will stand out. That’s the whole idea."

The flags are to sit in a bucket at each side of the street. Pedestrians who want to cross would grab a flag, cross the street, then place the flag in another bucket on the other side of the street.

The crossing flag system is to be in place by the end of the month, Yalda said. The project cost is minimal, according to Gdala.

"One minor concern is that we may lose some of the flags," Yalda said. "For the first month, we’ll monitor the location."

Traffic and Transportation Commissioner Peter Valk said he’s used a similar crossing flag system at a location in Berkeley.

"It embarrassed my daughters as I was waving the flag as they were crossing the street," Valk said. The commissioner, however, was in favor of the plan because it would heighten pedestrian safety awareness and give them greater visibility when crossing the street.

"It’s a low-cost, quick measure that we can do, and if it saves one life, then it’s more than worth it," Valk said.

Traffic and Transportation Commission Chair Diana Brenke was concerned about the aesthetics of the flag. Yalda said he tried to design something as unobtrusive as possible. But the design must attract some attention or it defeats the purpose, he said.

For more information, call the city’s transportation/intergovernmental relations department at (818) 878-4225.