By Age-Friendly Carbondale
The next intersection in the 133, Dangerous as Designed series is Hendrick Drive and Sopris Avenue. This is an oddly configured intersection because Hendrick and Sopris are not aligned, adding to its complexity and making it more difficult to negotiate safely.
Several factors make this intersection unsafe. The first is speed. Leaving the roundabout southbound, 133 follows a straight path “encouraging” drivers to speed up. At Sopris, 133 becomes three lanes because of the dedicated right turn lane for Wells Fargo Bank and Hendrick giving drivers further encouragement to speed. This happens just as drivers are about to reach the 133 crosswalk.
The second is the location of entry and exit points. Hendrick and Sopris are offset, making it difficult for drivers to see one another. Both streets have drivers turning right and left turn onto 133. Drivers are exiting 133 as well, turning onto both Hendrick and Sopris. If keeping track of who is going where is not difficult enough, bike paths on both sides of 133, the user-activated crosswalk signal and the shopping plaza entrance across from Hendrick add to the challenge.
The third is road width. Hendrick and 133 are three lanes wide and Sopris is wide enough for drivers to use it that way. This width increases the traffic exposure time of users and the complexity of the view of traffic movement.
Age-Friendly Carbondale (AFC) received many complaints about this intersection: cars travel too fast, cars don’t stop when the crosswalk lights are flashing, drivers are distracted, reports of near misses and more. To address these issues, AFC recommends:
1) Decreasing vehicle speed by adding traffic-calming elements to 133. This could include the elimination of the right turn lane on 133 at Hendrick (moving the curb accordingly), converting to a raised 133 crosswalk and adding speed signage in the median.
2) Upgrading the current crosswalk signal to a high-intensity signal that places the flashing lights overhead, in drivers’ line of sight, and uses a light sequence similar to regular traffic signals.
3) Install a pedestrian refuge island in the 133-crosswalk to provide a safe waiting spot for users crossing one direction of traffic at a time. It would also be a traffic-calming element.
4) Improve lighting for increased safety after dark.
This intersection is widely used. Children and adults (including seniors from Crystal Meadows) cross 133 to access Main Street’s shops and restaurants, the library, Stepping Stones, Sopris Park, the pool, the Rec Center, Hendrick Park’s soccer field and more, as well as to visit friends and family. Making this intersection safer is about reducing the potential for accidents, but it’s also about preserving, and enhancing Carbondale’s small-town character.