Photo provided The 27th Street and Home Avenue intersection has safety upgrades aimed at improving crossing safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers.
The intersection of 27th Street and Home Avenue will look a little different after the city received a competitive grant aimed at improving the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers.
City engineering announced this week that the intersection will be the site of a temporary project that will see pavement markings, curb extensions and delineator posts in hopes it will slow down traffic, improve driver awareness and make it safer for pedestrians.
The installation itself will be wrapped up next week, just in time for the new school year, engineering officials said.
The intersection is used by more than 4,000 students attending nearby schools including Columbus North High School, Northside Middle School, Schmitt Elementary and St. Bartholomew. It’s also situated with access to nearby neighborhoods, restaurant offerings and the People Trail system to the north.
The installation— called the tactical urbanism demonstration project— came from the Indiana Department of Health and was for $7,000. After being short-listed following the application process, city engineering had to give a presentation to secure the funding and receive letters of support from BCSC, Columbus Regional Health and the Columbus Police Department, who hires the crossing guards at the intersection.
The grant-funded project will allow the city to test how well these design elements improve safety and inform permanent design decisions in the future.
Community members are encouraged to provide feedback about what they think of the project through a a survey on the city’s Bike Walk Columbus website starting Aug. 1 and at two open houses on Aug. 12 and Aug. 21.
Updates on the project, community survey and community open houses will be shared on the city engineering’s Facebook page.
The project is a collaboration between the City of Columbus Engineering, Planning, and Public Works Departments.
