Spiffy New Crosswalks

By Dave Bullock
Published: Thursday, December 13, 2007, at 09:31AM

Crosswalk Crew Dave Bullock [Flickr]
Detail of Grooves Dave Bullock [Flickr]

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES —

Over the past few days, LADOT construction workers have been hard at work on the intersection of 6th and Main. They started by grading and repaving just the intersection, and the next night they were cutting grooves in the street for the faux-brick crosswalk decoration.

Yesterday I snapped a few shots as the crew laid the prefabricated crisscross crosswalk designs into the grooves and melted them in place with a large industrial heater. I had previously thought that the patterns were carefully painted onto the street, but apparently not. Either way I think it looks great, and I’m looking forward to more improvements on my block.

I am curious though, are the spiffy crosswalks just for decoration or are they designed as a safety feature to really let drivers know that people are going to be crossing the street?



Comments

1
Ginny writes:

It looks nice, and adds a little bit of “Hey, this is my pedestrian space” feel.

However…I’ve got to tell you that three weeks ago at 4 in the morning, on a SUNDAY morning, our building woke up to these guys tearing up the street and replacing the intersection.

They haven’t been out there that early since then, but I was very disappointed that any City agency would dare do work like that, right next to TWO residential buildings.

Before I got to the window, I said to myself…there’s no permitted filming here this morning…and when I got to the window…I was shocked…but happy(?) the intersection was being replaced. But, not at 4 in the morning.

Pretty…but at a significant cost of a lot of lost sleep.

# on Dec.13.2007 AT 10:38 AM
2
LAofAnaheim writes:

Looks like the same intersections near the South Group bldgs. Very classy, it looks nice.

# on Dec.13.2007 AT 11:36 AM
3
LandUseJunkie writes:

I heard that it is indeed practical. Apparently the painted crosswalks get dirty and visibility is reduced. Also they need repainting often.

# on Dec.13.2007 AT 12:33 PM
4
celia writes:

those are just like the ones at 5th and main that were put in back in may.

and although i really do like the new crosswalks, my teeth were still rattling from the noise made installing the ones at 5th & main when the 4am installation at 6th & main chimed in.

# on Dec.13.2007 AT 12:50 PM
5
Rico A writes:

The ones at 5th and Main got really dirty, though the ones on 11th are still pristine… less pedestrian activity, I suppose.

The new crosswalks at El Pueblo are the standard faux-brick painted kind, which struck me as odd, but at least it’s somethin’.

Hey, 3000th blog post?!

# on Dec.13.2007 AT 01:07 PM
6
Eric Richardson writes:

Rico: Actually only 1,371. blogdowntown split off from blog.ericrichardson.com, and inherited the numbering there (post 1737 was posted both places, and downtown-related posts from the past were copied over). In a sign of how much I’ve since neglected my own poor blog, it’s still at post number 2,081.

# on Dec.13.2007 AT 02:08 PM
7
meekorouse writes:

you’d think a city agency would know it’s own code enforced noise abatement requirements. While I don’t know how early one can make such ridiculous noise I seriously don’t think it’s anywhere before 6 or 7am. The crosswalks do look nice. I hope they’re made of some material that can be kept nice for a long time. =) I like the ones we have over in South Park although it was pretty unsightly for a while while they ripped up the street & installed them.

# on Dec.14.2007 AT 12:07 PM
8
John Swartz writes:

They woke me up at 4AM during my last 2 hours of rest before I ran the City of Angeles Half Marathon! It totally screwed up my race!

I was VERY upset that they did this during sleeping hours.

Thanks for upgrading the intersection, but come-on… there has got to be a better way!

-J

# on Dec.14.2007 AT 03:56 PM
9
Ginny writes:

And - how about this morning!

WHAT ARE THEY THINKING!!

# on Dec.15.2007 AT 07:12 AM
10
Aaron writes:

They put those in back in Boston too - they look great and beautify downtown, but they’re also easier to see and will remind drivers that there’s pedestrians these days :).

# on Dec.15.2007 AT 11:34 AM

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