Green crosswalks downtown mean ‘go’ — for pedestrians, cyclists

More green is showing up downtown along a 1.5 mile section of the Fall Line Trace between 10th Avenue and the Frank K. Martin Pedestrian Bridge.

A longtime Columbus official called about the green painted crosswalks at intersections along the walking and biking path with 12-foot wide sidewalks.

Rick Jones, director of the Planning Department, said the green paint is simply a way to call attention to the trail where people are invited to ride their bicycles or walk.

“The idea is let folks know that is supposed to be a special place for people to walk and ride bikes,” Jones said. “At those crosswalks, it will let folks know to be on the lookout for pedestrians and cyclists as well.”

The city has spent about $2.4 million on improvements between the Pedestrian Bridge to the end of the Fall Line Trace at 10th Avenue near the Midtown Medical Center. Standard sidewalks were removed and replaced with 12-foot wide paths to open the streets to more users.

Other cities with trail networks have painted crosswalks on a trial basis to let everyone know about the special access points. “We are looking at where the intersections are, the crosswalks and where you can go,” Jones said.

While driving the short route, I found the green crosswalks to be quite visible along the path. The path runs along 10th Avenue south to Linwood Boulevard and goes west to Fifth Avenue. From there, it goes south to 14th Street and west to the Pedestrian Bridge.

“When you’re driving down the road, you will see that it’s a bike lane,” Jones said.

The green paint is a caution that someone could be riding or walking along the path near your vehicle. Other than used on a trial basis, there hasn’t been an official designation about the painted crosswalks except they are a test.

There is still some minor work along the path with some cleanup. “This was a test,” Jones said in his description of the painted areas. “We really don’t have it for the most part in anything else now. We have seen it done in other communities. We are trying it out here to see if is works. “

Jones hasn’t received any comments on the painted crosswalks since they were covered. The city did get some clarification from the Federal Highway Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation that painting of the lanes is allowed in certain places.

“We have been a little leery in that sense so we don’t get crossways with the Federal Highway Administration,” he said. “It has a safety factor as well involved in all of this. That is what the green paint is for, indicating there is a trail out there.”

If the crosswalks don’t work, the city will move on. “If it doesn’t work, we’ll go from there,” he said.

If you’ve seen something that needs attention, give me a call.

This story was originally published October 15, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "Green crosswalks downtown mean ‘go’ — for pedestrians, cyclists."