Sometime in 2017 there could be two additional intersections along Woodward Avenue with high profile pedestrian crossings such as the one installed earlier this year at Buena Vista Drive.
They are targeted to be put in place on Woodward Avenue at Wellington Avenue as well as Pagola Avenue.
It is part of a stepped up attention to pedestrian and bicyclist safety that the Manteca City Council started pushing 14 months ago after three separate pedestrian deaths over an 18-month period in Manteca. Those deaths included a grandfather who was pushing his grandson in a stroller across Woodard Avenue, a first grader walking to Shasta School, and a man struck crossing Center Street in mid-block. While none of the deaths were due to any unsafe road design flaws on the city’s part, the council decided to put more emphasis on pedestrian safety.
Other projects in the works include a separate overpass for pedestrians and bicyclists for the Union Rad interchange upgrade that will start in 2017 and bicycle lanes in the 100 block of North Main Street.
The Manteca City Council on Tuesday approved a plan to put a crosswalk with temporary sign mounted solar-powered warning flashers at the approaches to the Pagola intersection that is used by students to cross Woodward going to and from Veritas School.
Safety concerns of parents were brought to the city’s attention in August.
Councilman Richard Silverman lauded staff’s quick response and advancing an effective temporary solution.
Silverman noted the city in the past seemed to move at “glacial speeds” on such requests. In comparison he said the city’s response for the Pagola Avenue concern was “warp five.”
He hoped the city would be as nimble moving forward.
In response to Silverman’s inquiry about in-pavement crossing flashers at Wellington Avenue that have been inoperable for three weeks, Houghton said the city does not intend to repair them.
The decision was partly based on the fact a $150,000 improvement project for overhead warning flashers activated by push buttons is expected to be in place sometime next year. At the same time there is a concern the in-pavement flashers aren’t as effective in alerting drivers as are overhead flashers.
There are warning signs posted on both sides of the street advising pedestrians the crosswalk flashers are not operating. The city essentially wants pedestrians to be more alert to the dangers of crossing since the in-ground flashers give them a false sense of heightened safety.
Houghton is hopeful the more visible overhead flashers can move forward at Pagola the same time they do at Wellington.
The city has been working with Manteca Unified closely to enhance pedestrian safety following the death last September of a Shasta School first grader walking to school and a Manteca High student being severely injured several months later while crossing Moffat Boulevard.

Council opted for first
pedestrian/bicyclist
‘bridge’ across Bypass
The school district has  been re-evaluating how traffic comes in and of school campuses and advancing possible suggestions on signage and such on streets for the city to consider.
The uptick in attention to pedestrian safety led to the council decision to build a separate bridge for pedestrians and bicyclists at Union Road over the 120 Bypass. That means they won’t have to cross on and off ramps that are being designed to move more vehicles as part of a diverging diamond design.
Originally staff had proposed directing pedestrian and bicyclist into a path in the middle of six lanes of traffic protected by railing or concrete K-rail — in order to cross the 120 Bypass as part of a diverging diamond design. That would have required bicyclists and pedestrians to cross traffic four times to get across the 120 Bypass.
Currently none of the bridges that cross the 120 Bypass — Airport Way, Union Road, or Main Street — have sidewalks or protected bicycle lanes. The undercrossing for Van Ryn Avenue has a separate bicycle path.
Smaller projects moving forward include rumble strips around select school campuses as part of city street maintenance plus bicycle lanes in the 100 block of North Main as part of the bulbout removal.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com