By Marshall Zelinger
m.zelinger@krdo.com
Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mzelinger

COLORADO SPRINGS – How much is your safety worth?  Nearly one year ago, the city of Colorado Springs spent $26,000 to install 12 crosswalk signals on Cascade Avenue through Colorado College.  The money came from the Rural Transportation Authority, the one-cent sales tax that funds transit and transportation projects.  Nearly one year after the crosswalk signals were installed, NEWSCHANNEL 13 has learned the signals are rarely used.

"Our preliminary study done last spring showed that about two percent of the people that crossed actually pushed the button," said Colorado Springs traffic engineer Dave Krauth.

NEWSCHANNEL 13: "Two out of 100?"

"Two out of 100 yes," said Krauth.

"I was raised look both ways, not press a button," said Colorado College sophomore Christopher Young.  "I'll press the buttons at night sometimes, I've never actually pressed them during the day."

"I usually just push it if there's cars coming," said Colorado College freshman Lindsey Pointer.  "We're all usually thinking about something academic around here, so you're just really up in your head, not really thinking about what's going on around."

NEWSCHANNEL 13 watched Friday afternoon as many students crossed Cascade without pushing the signal buttons.  A skateboarder rode across Cascade and told us he never pushes the button.  When the button does get pushed, it activates the lights on four signs, alerting drivers that a pedestrian is using the crosswalk.

"We are seeing vehicles are yielding to pedestrians further back from where the stop bar used to be," said Krauth.

In addition to the flashing signs, the city also installed new "Yield to Pedestrians Here" signs and added new crosswalk markings on the roadway.

NEWSCHANNEL 13: "Would you say it's worth $26,000?"

"Not on this street, I really don't think so," said Colorado College sophomore Melody Maxson.  "People here are used to knowing kids are crossing the street a lot, and so cars are much more aware of students crossing the street.  It's more dangerous to cross Nevada."

Nevada between Cache la Poudre and Uintah also has crosswalks, but not with a flashing signal, only a bright yellow pedestrian crosswalk sign.

NEWSCHANNEL 13: "Based on what you've seen, are those worth $26,000?"

"I feel like not so much on Cascade, Nevada's where we get close calls most of the time," said Colorado College sophomore Mindy Nguyen.  "I feel like it should be over there, rather than here."

Nguyen is one of the few who actually did activate the signal.  She has to though, Colorado College asks all dorm resident assistants to do so.

"As RA's, all of us were told to actually push the button every time we walk across the street, just so we can lead by example," said Nguyen.  "I know campus safety has sent out an e-mail to everybody telling them that they should press the buttons, that it's there, they installed it for our use so we don't get hit."

"People push it more often at night," said Pointer.  "At night it's pretty much impossible to see people walking back and forth and they do get pushed then."

"The button's to one side of the walkway, so you have to go out of your way," said Maxson, explaining why she doesn't like to push the button.

"We want to see what we can do to get better compliance before we spend that kind of money obviously in the current budget situation," said Krauth.

According to Krauth, a new light signal with a crosswalk setting would cost $100,000.  NEWSCHANNEL 13 asked what $26,000 could have bought instead.

$26000, that's 260 signs," said Krauth.  "It could be 26,000 square feet of crosswalk, I guess."

26,000 square feet is a little more than half the size of a football field.

NEWSCHANNEL 13: "Any plans to do this anywhere else based on what you've found?"

There are no plans to do this anywhere else at this point," said Krauth.

NEWSCHANNEL 13: "If you had to do it today, $26,000 based on your information, it's not worth it?"

"We would not do it, we would not do it," said Krauth.  "Kids aren't being hit in the crosswalk.  For a test, I think it was a reasonable amount."