Hard News: Crosswalks to Heaven
(COVINGTON, La.) Occupants of the City of Covington react to an incident involving a pedestrian being hit while crossing the main thoroughfare and to the city’s efforts to help pedestrians.
Crosswalks to Heaven began in downtown Covington after the owner of the English Tea Room, Tim Lantrip, was struck by a pickup truck while crossing Boston Street. Lantrip was taken to Lakeview Hospital and treated for head injuries.
“Hearing about something like this in our small town is so surreal. This town feels like it was built to walk around and shop and take in the scenery. Drivers need to take into account the fact that there are so many pedestrians in this area and definitely be on the lookout,” said Therese Chifici, Covington local.
After hearing of the incident and keeping up with Lantrip’s long recovery the City of Covington decided something needed to be done to help pedestrians be more visible to oncoming cars when crossing the street. At a recent city council meeting, Mayor Mark Johnson explained the city’s temporary solution to the problem is to place bright orange flags attached to poles of the traffic lights next to the crosswalks on Boston Street in downtown Covington. Crossing pedestrians are supposed to wave the flag when crossing to allow maximum visibility for oncoming traffic.
Locals have mixed feelings about the city’s efforts.
Devin O’Brien said, “I am a runner and I train for my marathons in the downtown area all the time. Hearing about what happened is scary. I always think about the danger of crossing a busy street especially during early morning runs. I appreciate the effort the city made but I'm not so sure it's the most realistic solution…how many people are going to actually use the flags? And if a driver is distracted or looking at their phone while driving, a flag is not going to stop them.”
Mayor Mark Johnson understands that this is a temporary solution. A more permanent solution is still being discussed in hopes of keeping our pedestrians safe.
— 30 —
