Committee discusses crosswalk safety and a low-cost ‘flag’ pilot program

Keizer committee members reviewed a list of pedestrian crossing locations they want prioritized for safety improvements and discussed a low-cost pilot that provides handheld orange flags for pedestrians to carry across crossings.

A committee member summarized outreach to neighborhood presidents and noted several intersections of concern, including locations near schools and busy corners where visibility is limited. The committee discussed options such as repainting crosswalk lines, working with Marion County for striping costs, and temporary measures.

Members described a pilot program from the multimodal safety group in which a bucket of high-visibility flags is placed at selected crossings; pedestrians take a flag on the street side, carry it across, and return it for reuse. One presenter noted the pilot’s approximate budget of $300 and said smaller cities have reported success with the approach.

The group agreed to wait for the pilot’s results and then offer suggestions to the multimodal safety staff and city council on whether to expand the program and where to place additional crossings or flags. Committee members also suggested local sponsorships and community education to increase effectiveness.

No formal committee vote was taken; the discussion will be used to prepare recommendations for traffic safety staff and future city-council consideration.