Crosswalks: ‘They take me nowhere’

Longtime seasonal visitor Roger Staig thinks the Key’s four new crosswalks are a good idea, in general. But he sees one major flaw.

“Three of the four crosswalks literally take you from the sidewalk over to grass and shrubbery with nowhere to walk,” Staig said. “Why do I want to use them? They take me nowhere.”

The four new crosswalks became operational last week, but many residents are questioning their placement.

“I am so excited about the crosswalk on GMD between Cedars East and Spanish Main Yacht Club, a route I frequent almost every day,” wrote Jane Oaks in a letter to the Longboat Observer. “I can hardly wait to use the walk from the east of GMD to nowhere. The walk on the west side of GMD ends in the middle of landscaping for Cedars West.”

Commissioner Lynn Larson, who advocated for a crosswalk location at the Country Club Shores beach access — that actually leads pedestrians from one sidewalk to another — agrees.

“If we had control over the crosswalks instead of FDOT, they would be in different places,” Larson said. “He (Staig) is speaking to the choir.”

A Florida Department of Transportation crew finished striping the crosswalks on the road and made final adjustments to the lighting and push button activation systems last week.

The crosswalks have push buttons that allow pedestrians to activate rectangular flashing lights, alerting motorists of their crossing.

The crosswalks are located just north of Companion Way; at Banyan Beach Club in the 5600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive; at The Diplomat Condominium Beach Resort in the 3100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive; and at the Country Club Shores beach access at Longboat Club Drive in the 1000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Town Manager Dave Bullock and Mayor Jack Duncan are hopeful the striping will now cause both pedestrians and motorists to be more alert.

For the last two weeks, residents using the crosswalks with activated lights without crosswalk striping reported difficulty crossing the road because many motorists didn’t stop right away.

Duncan said the town needs to create “a full education process” that involves reaching out to Key association boards and area churches.

Duncan also suggests the town craft a brochure for area inns and hotels to distribute to Key visitors, urging them to use the crosswalks.

Longboat Key Police Chief Pete Cumming said his officers will monitor the crosswalks as motorists and pedestrians adapt to the crosswalks.