Pearl Street - Ellensburg, Washington
Safe Crossings
 

      
 Another
      view of the 4th and Pearl intersection shows the excellent wheelchair
      ramp design. This element of the project was ahead of its time,
      as most street corners built in the 1980s featured a single ramp
      at a 45-degree angle to the intersection. While some cities still
      build the older design, the new designs like these in Ellensburg
      feature dual ramps at 90-degree angles to the intersection. These
      designs ensure that wheelchair users are directed into the crosswalk,
      and not into the intersection.


      
The Ellensburg
      curb extensions (or "bulbs", as they are sometimes
      called by engineers) also slow turning movements in the downtown
      area, and expand the parking width along the shoulder to allow
      angled parking -- another excellent strategy for downtown traffic
      calming that also provides more parking for businesses. In many
      cases, a curb extension is also designed to be a transit feature,
      allowing buses to easily pick up passengers at the curb without
      pulling in and out of traffic. The Ellensburg curb extensions
      were not designed for transit stops, however, and landscaping
      occupies the area that would normally be devoted to a bus stop
      or shelter.

      
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 All images
      are ©Tom Kloster, 1999, and may only be used by permission