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Mounds View City Council February 28, 2000 Regular Meeting Page 3 traffic that crosses Edgewood Drive was considered very light, and the pressure plates were set so that there was a very short span of time in which to cross the road. He indicated that reprogramming the light would only be a temporary solution, however, it may only involve a telephone call to request the time be extended. Director of Public Works Ulrich explained that the timing of the lights require that pedestrians leave the curb as soon as the light turns white, which would allow enough time to reach the center of the road. He stated he was aware that this does not sound like a very safe idea, however, the timing of the light is such that it provides sufficient time to cross halfway, wait for the traffic signal to go through, and then cross the remaining half of the road. He advised that as soon as the light changes to amber, the pedestrians are not to step off of the curb. He explained that this poor timing situation is due to the skewed nature of the intersections, which are not configured at 90 degrees. He pointed out that the Edgewood Drive crossing that was only recently installed is probably the safest of the crossings, because it is configured at 90 degrees, with an equal distance on the east and west sides. He explained that Long Lake Road has a quick crossing from north to south, with a considerably longer second leg, because the intersection is configured at a different angle. Director of Public Works Ulrich reiterated that pedestrians are to leave the curb on the white light, however, when the light changes to amber they should not step off of the curb, because at this point, there is theoretically no time to get to the middle of the road. He advised that if the light is flashing, pedestrians must definitely not step off of the curb. An audience member stated this information was helpful for those in attendance, however, there were many citizens who were not aware of this. She stated she has attempted to cross the road at this intersection, and has feared for her life. She indicated that upon reaching the mid-point of the intersection, she was very afraid she could not make it across. She stated she would not allow her children to cross Highway 10. An audience member pointed out that not all have that option. She advised that children who travel from the Community Center should be in a group when crossing the road, so that they can be safe. She explained that the entire area is comprised of schools, a daycare, Windsong, and the Community Center, and it was outrageous that there are no flashing lights in this area. She stated the children should be provided a safe means to reach their schools David Jahnke, 8428 Eastwood Road inquired if the Minnesota Department of Transportation had control over what is done on this roadway. Director of Public Works Ulrich stated this was correct. He indicated MNDot continues to maintain control over the roadway and the standards by which Ramsey County will abide. He stated he empathized and sympathized with all that has occurred. He pointed out however, each of these crossings has signal lights, stop bars, and painted crosswalks. He advised that several years ago, the City and MNDot had discussed this in terms of attempting to install some type of barriers in the center islands, to make them safer not only for pedestrians, but also for the vehicles that travel the road. He stated there are crosswalks painted on the roadway which are the areas designated for crossing, and if crosswalks are not present, pedestrians are not to cross. Mrs. Gunn inquired if it would be possible to install a flashing light at the intersection.