Nearly every morning I cross Broadway at High Five Coffee on my way downtown. More often than not, the road is fairly empty, and I can take a leisurely stroll across all four lanes. But when there is traffic, it comes fast, so I have to make a run for it. There’s nothing to warn drivers to slow down or yield: It’s their space, not mine.
I could just keep walking along Broadway, but the narrow sidewalk puts me inches from tons of metal moving at breakneck speed. And once I get to the crossing at Merrimon, I’m presented with a 70-foot-long crosswalk that begins with a curved turn lane designed to keep cars moving as fast as possible. Once again, I’m forced to make a run for it — even if I have the green light. I could attempt to cross Broadway higher up, but there are no lights or crosswalks at many of those intersections.
I’m not the first person to be dismayed about the dangers of Broadway. Last year, someone painted “35 mph slow down” on the road surface in response to drivers routinely speeding along those very wide lanes. But once the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) became aware of this unsanctioned message, the agency painted over it…