FARMINGTON – A crosswalk on Main Street at the intersection with South Street will permanently close tomorrow, following the results of a Maine Department of Transportation pedestrian safety audit.
The crosswalk in question is located at the intersection of Main and South; nearby buildings include Franklin Hall at the corner of Main and South and, across the street, Scott Hall. According to Jeff McKay, Director of Facilities Management with the University of Maine at Farmington, the decision to close the crosswalk was the result of a request by UMF and Farmington to MDOT. Main Street is part of the Route 4 & 27 corridor.
“Both the Town of Farmington and the Farmington Police Department are in support of this request,” McKay said in an email released Monday, “as the poor location of the crosswalk at the top of the hill is the main contributor to many safety concerns when it comes to visibility and vehicles having the ability to start and stop on the hill.”
The hill McKay refers to is under Main Street, leading into the downtown after the roadway makes a sharp turn after passing Hippach Field.
Effective Tuesday, the crosswalk will be closed. Barriers and accompanying signage will be installed to mark its former location. Pedestrians are asked to use crosswalks closer to downtown Farmington to cross Main Street; either the crosswalk located between 252 Main Street, (Franklin Hall), and 246 Main Street, (Admissions) or the crosswalk located near parking lot No. 7, adjacent to the Old South Church.
What’s the point closing one, people rarely use them when crossing main anyway.
Good call. That is a very dangerous place for pedestrians and cars.Glad to see departments working together.
Until the police actually start ticketing jay Walker’s this will still be an issue
If one thinks this will stop the crossing at this location, I highly doubt it.
Finally those college kids will have a safe place to cross the road. Good for them!
The article should say “because of the INABILITY of the vehicles to stop and start on the hill.” Those poor trucks get stuck and can’t move and that really messes up traffic.
See, it is possible for government to make an obvious common sense decision occasionally. Now if they would only enforce crossing laws. Just because you’re in a suit or college student doesn’t entitle you to make Main Str your own.
I think the town should get better lighting,I think the streets are too dark to walk at night. The cross walk at the top at night is hard to see someone especially if they don’t wait for the vehicles to stop for them.
Did department of transportation NOT realize it was a dangerous location when everyone approved putting the flashing lights there?
Finally! This makes sense. Let’s hope the UMF students cooperate.
Maybe campus security can spend some time nailing them during peak times.. Meal times would be optimum.. Start retraining them .. and while they are at it.. teach them to use the buttons .. of course I’ve sat at the lights in the center of town and seen plenty of Farmington Residents from every walk of life totally ignore the pedestrian walk buttons there.. or cross the roads any where they want to. Jay walking is a major problem through out the town by everyone.
So, Frankie… you’d like your tax dollars to go toward prosecuting jay-walkers? Really?
Glad this issue was finally addressed. But The signs need to be on the ground. Most pedestrians are staring down at their phones.
Alison they have a plan in the works for new led lighting. There was a recent article about it on here. The problem a commenter pointed out is CMP quoted the town a ridiculous number compared to what the town of Rumford paid per light. I suppose that shouldn’t surprise anyone knowing CMP as of late.
I’d like to see some kind of changes made to either the crosswalk or the parking spaces at the Dunkin’ Donuts/Post Office location. When people cross there they can be very difficult to see.
Just because one pushes a button, it doesn’t override the need to stop and look both ways before crossing.
This intersection from South st. should also be a right turn only.
The next move for the town should be making South Street a “one-way street” from Main to High.
So Eleanor, its ok to pick and choose which laws can be broken? Furthermore if jaywalking laws were properly enforced it would obviously make money for the tax base.
Once upon a time, in a far away land, people crossed the road without crosswalks and buttons. It was called “Looking Both ways.”
Good. Now have campus security start ticketing jay walkers and those who “leap” out into traffic. You don’t pay the fine…you don’t graduate.
@ Eleanor, I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt that your misspelling of my name is a typo on your part, but my name is Frannie, not Frankie..
Next, Jaywalking is against the law. It just isn’t enforced around here. People cross the roads all over the place and won’t walk just a few feet down the road to cross in the designated spots.. And they get angry when cars won’t stop for them. Pedestrians have the right of way when in a marked crosswalk or have entered one. But when crossing the road from Tranten’s to the bank or The Roost.. without going to the corner or to the crosswalk right beside Dunk’s cause you don’t feel like walking those extra steps.. you are willfully breaking the law.. and NO ONE has to stop for you to let you cross.
Costing taxpayers? The only cost to the taxpayer would be the one breaking the law. In the form of a ticket. You know there are cities that have strict Jawwalking enforcements. San Diego comes to mind. The officers doing parking violations, nabbed a few.. we even saw some of the officers who patrol on bikes handing out citations.
In this state there has been an upswing in Pedestrian car accidents. They aren’t all driver inattention.. and they aren’t all “college age kids” being inattentive.. As I said in my original response, next time you are at the big intersection by Keys watch how many “townspeople” don’t push the button, and how many times you have to put your feet on the breaks because a local decides crossing the road anywhere they please is their prerogative and too bad so sad if you have to stop short to not hit them..And they don’t even wave a thanks or smile at you … So Eleanor tell me are you one of the guilty ones of jaywalking?