At Monday’s Washington City Council meeting, a concern was raised by a citizen about the lack of sidewalks and crosswalks on West 15^th Street.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is scheduled to bring a design to City Council. The sidewalks and crosswalks could be installed in 2015.

Norma Harris-Latham, who brought up the issue, doesn’t drive any more and uses the sidewalks to get around Washington.  She uses a wagon to load-up her groceries and other purchases to go home.

“Everywhere I go for the most part, I walk,” Harris-Latham said. “Stores like Dollar Tree, Goodwill, Piggly Wiggly and Belk’s I have to negotiate (traffic) on West 15^th Street.”

She came before City Council to ask if they could lower speed limits and put up additional stoplights, and was happy to hear the city and NCDOT are expected to install sidewalks on West 15^th Street.

In a recent sidewalk build in Hertford, NCDOT had to install legal right of ways for pedestrians and ADA requirements on sidewalks.

When West 15^th Street was expanded from two to four lanes it didn’t leave enough room for sidewalks. NCDOT will come up with a design to fit what is available and present it to City Council.

A standard sidewalk is approximately five-feet wide so it can fit two people walking in each direction.

During the sidewalk and crosswalk install in Hertford, NCDOT recommended all crosswalks should use pedestrian signals, which include audible and visible cues that it is okay to cross.

“We have people who have gotten confused at the 15^th Street intersection near Goodwill,” said Bobby Roberson, Washington city councilman. “We want to provide a crosswalk and a signal so it is safer to cross.”

The cost for the sidewalks and crosswalks is not known yet. The estimates will be available when NCDOT is finished with the plans and presents them to council.

“It makes me happy, and it shows they are concerned about it and took me seriously,” Harris-Latham said.