Case Date:

9/14/2023

To Whom It May Concern, this is more of a recommendation than an problem. The pedestrian/bike crossing light on Allen St across Walnut is generally pretty good. Currently, there is a button to activate the lights on the sidewalks and wanted to suggest installing an additional button curbside for bikers. As it's currently constructed the median has two cut-outs so bicyclists can stay in the road (which is where we should be), but activating the light requires we ride up on the sidewalk. Most bikers, myself included, just keep an eye on the road to cross once traffic passes rather than hop the curb to activate the crossing light. The problem arises when a driver decides to yield; it's a nice gesture, but with two lanes of traffic in both directions it isn't safe to cross unless drivers in both lanes decide to yield and it's difficult to see over the stopped car to make sure the second lane is clear. I tend to wave the driver who has yielded to indicate they should just keep going, Bloomington drivers being Bloomington drivers they defer to being polite. A button positioned for bicyclists would make it clearer to both drivers and cyclists when it is safe to cross. This crossing point gets a fair amount of pedestrian and cycle traffic, but I don't think it is enough for a button to disrupt car flow on Walnut.