November 23, 2006 Issue                                       

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©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Cross at your own risk
New signs and safety measures are in place
at crosswalks on Germantown Avenue, but our intern finds that not all motorists are heeding the yellow signs.
by DEVON GRIEB

The Local’s intern, Devon Grieb, braves the crosswalk at Germantown Avenue and Abington Street in Chestnut Hill. Despite the day-glo green, many motorists scoff at the signs and proceed at break-neck speeds. (Photo by Jimmy J. Pack Jr.)

Venturing down Germantown Avenue last Friday afternoon I decided to cross at one of the crosswalks located at Abington Avenue instead of going out of my way to find a traffic light. After all, the crosswalks are now well marked with fresh white stripes and yellow pedestrian signs.

After I took a few steps onto the crosswalk and committed myself to the other side, fear came in the form of a silver Escalade tearing down the Avenue.

To my right, a female driver who looked to be a modern day Cruella Deville, maybe late forties, approached maniacally, her cell phone clamped between her ear and shoulder, a hand on the wheel and a cigarette in the other hand. While talking and puffing away, she didn’t even offer a foot to the break pedal.

I stared her down, attempting to make eye contact in a final effort to see if she saw me, but I didn’t have time to wait around to find out. Instinctively, I ran to the other side, knowing that even at 6’3, 250 pounds, I was no match for this silver beast; nor was I feeling very American today: willing to risk my physical well-being in the hope of bringing someone to court.

Once I was on the other side of the Avenue and through with fixing her with my angry stare, I wondered why she didn’t slow down. Didn’t she see the bright yellow yield to pedestrians sign in the middle of the street? Without getting too angry with the matter I simply rationalized that she was just one of “those” people.

On my way back home I was feeling a little more daring. Taking into account my pervious encounter with the white lines and the little yellow sign, I wanted to know just how many people were aware of what a pedestrian was and if they were actually willing to yield to one.

I stepped to the curb at the end of a crosswalk. Seven cars raced by. Not one was willing to slow down their car or life to let me pass.

Then I thought, maybe they didn’t know I was trying to cross so I decided to take the next step in this experiment. I put one leg out with my foot resting on the street, signaling, I believed, my intent to cross.

The first car to approach was a blue BMW piloted by a male driver wearing sunglasses despite the horizon-to-horizon carpet of clouds. He was fumbling around in what seemed to be his glove compartment and didn’t even look my way. I stood right where I was, knowing this was not going to be the chance I was so urgently seeking.

Finally after eight cars had passed, my crosswalk angel came to the rescue in a beat up, off-white Toyota Camry. With a smile and a wave of her hand I was on my way to the the other side. Or so I thought…

After a few confident paces I reached the middle of the street where I came face to grill with a red Acura that I’m sure sped up, almost as if we were in a race, one that would have resulted in me losing either way.

The Local’s Devon Grieb at the corner of Germantown and Abington.

The car passed, there were none to follow, and I hastily resumed my epic journey across the Avenue to safety, thinking all along the way, thank God for these pedestrian crosswalks.

After my ordeal, I found out that the crosswalks have been on the Avenue for a while now. But most were given a “facelift” recently with yellow signs in the middle of the road and fresh white striping for safety. The new and improved crosswalks can now be found at the Harwell, Abington, Springfield, Moreland, Mermaid and Winston intersections with Germantown Avenue.

Although the signs were applied for with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation back in July, they were not set up until after AbZOOlutley came to town in September.

Bob Previdi, the executive director of the Chestnut Hill Business Association, began pushing for a safer and more comfortable environment for the pedestrians and shoppers of Chestnut Hill back in July. Hoping to make the pedestrian laws visible for all drivers to see, Previdi applied for a series of yield to pedestrian signs to be placed at each intersection that wasn’t controlled by a traffic light.

Previdi, referencing George Orwell, said, “We live in a 1984 kind of world where the machine has finally taken over man,” referring generally to the fact that people are ruled by their cars when it should be the other way around.

“We don’t plan on stopping at signs,” Pervidi said. “We are working on a few ideas to make the Hill a safer place for people including, lighted crosswalks and coming out with some bumper stickers that can advertise a cute slogan on pedestrian safety.”

Currently, Previdi is looking for anyone in the community who thinks they have a good idea for a slogan to go on a bumper sticker in efforts to get the message out that Chestnut Hill is a pedestrian safe community.

Some walkers have found the signs to be very beneficial. William Stull, 69, of Mt. Airy said, “Before, I usually would walk to the lights and cross because as you can probably tell I don’t move as fast as these cars do, but now with the new signs it’s easier to cross most of the time. I think it was a good idea because most drivers probably don’t even remember what a crosswalk is since taking a driver’s test.”

Other people who walk around Germantown Avenue are still skeptical about the signs and remain cautious.

One pedestrian, Germantown’s Catherine Falatek, 37, said, “I tried to use those new crosswalks a week ago and as I started crossing some big SUV started honking its horn at me instead of stopping, I don’t think I will ever use them again, it’s easier and safer to just find a light.”

It’s hard to say what the final outcome of these crosswalks will be, but it’s a start.

Even with the new signs in place, most drivers are still oblivious to state pedestrian laws, thinking yellow means go and yield means go faster. I sat down for a half hour and just watched people who tried to cross. Most waited for there to be no cars and then hastily jogged to the other side, others who had children or who couldn’t walk as fast, would have to wait usually for two or three cars to pass before one stopped.

In the state of Pennsylvania, the penalty for not yielding to a pedestrian on a crosswalk is $116.50 before court and other miscellaneous costs and fees, and it can result in two points on your license. Although Germantown Avenue cannot even compare with the traffic of more dangerous Philadelphia roads such as Roosevelt Boulevard, the same laws still apply.

According to Previdi, The Philadelphia police have been informed to watch the new crosswalk signs and to enforce law in the favor of the people rather than the machines, but it shouldn’t take a state police cruiser lurking in the shadows of a gas station for someone to slow down, it should just be common sense. There are only 24 hours in a day and everyone has something important to do in this fast paced new world and five seconds of your time won’t kill you, but it might save someone else.

For more information on helping Bob Previdi with a slogan for a bumper sticker or on the future safety plans for people in Chestnut Hill you can contact him at 215-247-6696.