Hartford drivers – New centerline crosswalk signs

Message from Transport Hartford.

The City of Hartford is installing 40 Omni-Ped centerline crosswalk signs at 30 locations across the city. Hartford’s Police Department Traffic Division is also getting five of these signs to use at crosswalks around special events.

We secured National Safety Council Road to Zero funding for these signs as part of a grant to reduce crashes in Hartford. In addition to the pedestrian safety benefit, the signs do have some traffic calming (speed reduction) benefit in the immediate area where they are installed.

We wanted to get the word out to our professional drivers and freight drivers in Hartford that these signs will be in place shortly (hopefully this week). The signs are placed at marked crosswalks, right on the road centerline. They are designed to take some hits better than others.

• Trucks and buses sometimes need to cross the centerline to get around things (like parked cars, construction, bicyclists, etc). These signs will last longer if they aren’t put under the wheels of police vehicles, large trucks, firetrucks, or buses.
• If you need to go over the signs, try to get them lined up under the center of a bus or truck (they’ll pop back up behind you, the base is sprung) rather than giving them a direct, crushing hit with the wheels.

If you come across a sign that is out of location or damaged, you can let us know at (860) 247-3227 ext 13. The signs aren’t bolted down and can be moved temporarily as needed for construction projects or other needs. We’ll be out on location with teen interns (Police Explorers) this fall taking data on the effectiveness of the crosswalk signs, and we’ll be pulling them in for repair as necessary. The signs will also be pulled in over the winter to allow for snow clearing.