The town of Danville is going to make it easier to cross Railroad Avenue.
Currently there are crosswalks at Linda Mesa and at Prospect Avenue. The new crosswalk will be built between these two with hopes it will encourage pedestrian traffic between Hartz and Railroad.
The new crosswalk is part of the town’s Clocktower renovation project to add 50 new parking spaces to its lot. In order to make space for the new parking, Railroad Avenue will be narrowed.
Town engineers discovered in planning the renovation that a crosswalk could be part of it, said Mike Stella, a senior civil engineer with the town.
“As we got into the design, we realized there were certain improvements we could make to improve the town,” he said. “It’ll be much more comfortable for pedestrians to cross.”
It will also be safer. Lights will automatically start flashing when a pedestrian passes. Although the crosswalk is not a stop sign, it will warn drivers that someone is crossing.
The crosswalk is designed to tie into the brick walkway next to the Uptown Cafe, which will extend through the center of the parking lot and cross Railroad Avenue.
Because the crosswalk was not part of the original Clocktower renovation, the project needed additional funds, which the Town Council has approved. The lighted crosswalk will cost roughly $30,000, said Stella.
The entire Clocktower renovation project is scheduled to begin in early July and should be completed by the end of October. Disruption to traffic on Railroad Avenue should be minimal, said Stella.
“Anytime you have workmen on the street, installing conduits, the contractor will caution motorists that there are workers on the streets,” he said.
