Touch and go no more: San Luis Obispo walkers get signal without pressing button
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- There will be one less thing to worry about coming into contact with when leaving the house in San Luis Obispo.
The City is making some of it's signalized intersections temporarily touch free. Pedestrians will only need to wait for the green walk signal to come on so they can safely cross the street without touching the signal.
San Luis Obispo is making the change at 20 locations where a large amount of people walk.
This is all in an effort to reduce the number of frequently touched surfaces and reduce the risk of the transmission of coronavirus.
"This is an innovative approach, implemented at almost no cost, that protects pedestrians and helps slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community," Active Transportation Manager Adam Fukushima said.
Temporary signs have been installed where automatic walk cycles are being put into place. Five intersections have been converted as of Tuesday. They include:
- Foothill Boulevard / Broad Street
- Foothill Boulevard / Chorro Street
- Broad Street / Pismo Street
- Broad Street / Buchon Street
- Broad Street / Pacific Street
Pedestrians are still required to wait for the walk signal before crossing the street. San Luis Obispo says the move has been applied successfully in other cities like Oakland, California and Cambridge, Massachussetts.
The program is subject to change along with the City's response to the COVID-19 emergency.
