Yield to Pedestrians Signs: Where are They Most Needed in Middletown?

The nature of a Patch reporter's job has me out daily walking around the city. Last week, I came upon a new yield sign for motorists that warns of pedestrians crossing the street in a highly trafficked area.

This one popped up on Broad Street in front of the Russell Library where there is already a bright yellow state Department of Transportation sandwich board that's placed out front daily.

Not unlike the one that's found on near the painted pedestrian crosswalk on Main Street in front of the old Meetinghouse Opticians and Salvation Army, this sign is sometimes disregarded by motorists, some of whom consider the responsibility to yield lies with the person on foot.

There's another in front of the blue Raveis realty office on Main Street near Mondo pizza that has me feeling like I'm an unwilling participant in a game of Russian roulette, mostly from motorists traveling south bound just freed from the red light at Union Street.

So the Russell Library sign got me thinking. I decided to do a mobile post on my Facebook page asking where else in Middletown such a sign is sorely needed, which swiftly elicited a number of suggestions for locations throughout the city.

• Christine: But some in town especially on the Wesleyan campus think the crosswalk extends up the sidewalk and up to the building, and they walk like they have an invisible force field on them and don't need to look before crossing. They are required to look before crossing we only can see soo far ahead and they are going to cause a big incident someday.
• Fred: The famous Wesleyan Student Denial of Physics Pedestrian
• Claude: A very good friend says, "They need a pedestrian course at Wesleyan."
• Susan: Erin and High.... it's scary out there.
• Jane: Saybrook Road — that girl was hit then the cop collided with the walker; they need crosswalks, too!
• Jane: Tradewinds Plaza or Citgo areas
• John: All local drive thrus.
• Melanie: At the crosswalk in front of Mondo and the green on Main Street. No one ever stops there! It is so dangerous!
• Jennifer: North end! By firehouse!
• Christine: One thing they need to do is catch people crossing when traffic is in flow and its clearly blinking for them NOT to cross
• Fred: Cars are a drag to start with, pedestrians are self absorbed and or stoned, and roads and such are designed and built by some dope with a job, eh?
• Julia: Saybrook by the Stop and Shop. Isn't there going to be a referendum next week for a sidewalk at that location?
• Michael: One place that really needs a couple of these with flashing lights on top is the crosswalk on Main in front of Minuteman Press.
• Jane: Part of the referendum on Public Works bonding includes a sidewalk along Saybrook Road from Tryon Street down to East Main. One goal is to make it possible for kids and families to walk safely to Bielefield School.
• Dmitri: Main Street at Minute Man and Salvation Army. No one stops for people, and they drive so fast!
• Ellen: Court Street by Melilli Plaza by City Hall.

What do you think? Tell us in the comments section below.

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