After a year’s worth of conversations, Healthier Lyon County is now set for the official launch of a new demonstrative project aimed at increasing pedestrian safety across Emporia.
Beginning Monday, Healthier Lyon County will be installing new crosswalks at multiple locations across town. Healthier Lyon County Grant Manager Daphne Mertens had more details on KVOE’s Morning Show Friday.
The so-called “pedestrian islands” will be equipped with signage that includes QR codes for pedestrians to scan and offer feedback on the project. Mertens says that feedback will be instrumental in helping Healthier Lyon County decide if the community feels there is a significant enough need to warrant the installation of permanent islands.
In a previous interview from last December, Mertens noted there has been a significant need, at least from HLC’s vantage point, for increased safety in major traffic areas. Mertens pointed to an incident from November involving a student at Emporia Middle School who was struck by a vehicle at the school as a prime example of that need.
According to Mertens, the project involves multiple entities aside from HLC including the Lyon County Multi-Use Path Planning (MUPP) board and the Flint Hills Metropolitan Planning organization based in Manhattan.
