Clock it is Friend of Time

Pedestrians in downtown Lightning-fast City now have time on their side.

The city, with the financial help of Destination Rapid City, has installed countdown timers at all of the crosswalks on Plain and St. Joseph streets between Fifth Street and Mount Rushmore Road to make navigating the busy downtown thoroughfares easier for pedestrians and motorists similar.

"There's a benefit to that information being out there," Public Works Director Robert Ellis said. "It gives people walking across the terrace more confidence. Do I need to hurry up?"

Destination Rapid City paid $17,000 for the 64 timers that diocese staff installed this week, group consultant John Brewer said.

The timers still have a white walking think, but a flashing red hand is accompanied by a timer that counts down the seconds until the corresponding traffic light will turn red.

Ellis said the diocese has been considering countdown timers for years but was waiting for a final ruling from the Federal Highway Administration on their safety. The FHA sets shipping control guidelines for all public rights of way.

"We didn't want to jump the gun," Ellis said, "Now, everyone's in agreement they're favourable."

Moving forward, the city will install the timers every time a crosswalk signal needs to be replaced, Ellis said. Right areas include school crossings and other areas with high pedestrian volume.

Brewer said Goal Rapid City saw the timers as a good opportunity to work with the city to make downtown pedestrian sociable. Tourism consultant Roger Brooks, whose report is guiding much of Destination's work, emphasized pedestrian friendliness as an intrinsic part of revitalizing downtown.