Council discusses costly ADA crosswalk and student parking near Farmington High School

Councilors reviewed earlier proposals for a crosswalk near Farmington High School and were told an ADA-compliant crossing would require removal of parking and a park strip and would cost "like a $30,000 thing," according to City Manager Brigham. Brigham and council discussed visibility limitations for pedestrian beacons on that wide roadway and concerns about students' willingness to walk to a distant crossing.

Students and council members described how parking demand increases through the school year as more sophomores get licenses and said bus routes and additional school parking are part of the long-term solution. As interim measures, staff proposed painting a crossing, adding signage such as "watch for bikes and pedestrian crossing," and coordinating with the school SRO to monitor behavior. Council directed staff to work with the trails committee and bring back a prioritized list of trail and sidewalk improvements and to consider low-cost signage as an immediate step.

Brigham noted the city will not likely install the ADA crosswalk without losing parking and a significant budget allocation; the council encouraged outreach to the school district about parking options and to pursue low-cost signage while gathering data for a longer-term strategy.