This is our experience at the major intersection crosswalks near the offices of LASN in Tustin, Southern California. It all is a bit dodgy. When the light turns green and the pedestrian walk signal illuminates, you begin the journey across the street. There is a right turn lane also, and those oncoming vehicles have the green light to turn right and begin doing so. As you reach about the half-way point across the street, you wonder which driver in the turn lane will finally stop for you. The law says the pedestrian?EUR??,,????'???s path should not be impeded, i.e., if the pedestrian has to slow or even stop as he moves across the walk, the driver could be ticketed. Finally, a driver does stop, or at least slows to a crawl, realizing perhaps that it would be a major inconvenience for them if they ploughed into you. But before you are even on the sidewalk, the driver, not wanting to waste even a fraction of one more second, sweeps wide around you to make the turn. Drivers, generally, cannot be inconvenienced by someone walking (walking in Southern California?).

Crossers know to be on guard for ?EUR??,,????'??civilian?EUR??,,????'?? drivers. It?EUR??,,????'???s always a relief when the crosser sees a postal truck or fire truck?EUR??,,????'??+they stop and let you cross. And, of course, if there is a police vehicle anywhere near, suddenly drivers become courteous to pedestrians.

We?EUR??,,????'???re only talking about crossing during the day. At night, you really take your life in your hands, or should we say, on your feet? Lights in the crossing would help!

So, when it comes to crosswalks, we are up for any design that brings more attention to the crossing, preferably something that ?EUR??,,????'??shouts?EUR??,,????'?? out to drivers, ?EUR??,,????'??Hey, look, this is a crosswalk. People will actually cross here and you?EUR??,,????'???ll want to stop for them.?EUR??,,????'??

The new patterned crosswalks on Holly Street in downtown Bellingham, Wash. do just that. The patterns are set into the road when the asphalt is warm, using a template and a small compactor. A thermoplastic striping grid is then set into the grooves and heated to bond to the pavement. The thermoplastic striping is impregnated with tiny glass beads for more reflectivity and skid-resistance. (The company responsible is Integrated Paving Concepts of Surrey, B.C., the maker of Dura Therm inlaid crosswalk markings.)

Now that?EUR??,,????'???s great crosswalk design. You can?EUR??,,????'???t miss it, plus the geometric patterns are pretty neat. The design is similar to the crosswalks at the roundabouts near Whatcom Community College.

Bob Droll, head of the landscape architecture firm in Lacey, Wash. that suggested the design, told the Bellingham Herald, ?EUR??,,????'??To me, it?EUR??,,????'???s not a big cost for having something a little more different, more aesthetic.?EUR??,,????'??

A typical crosswalk costs about $3,200; a designer crosswalk costs about $4,800. As for maintenance of the Bellingham crosswalks, the paint will need touching-up every year and the thermoplastic striping on the road surface will need replacing in two or three years. The inlaid markings will last eight to 10 years if the asphalt is in good condition.