Baker City’s Public Works Department is taking steps to make it safer for students to cross a busy stretch of Auburn Avenue.

The intersection of Auburn and Fourth Street is used by students from South Baker Intermediate, several blocks to the south, and Baker Middle School, a few blocks to the north.

Michelle Owen, the city’s public works director, said the city has heard concerns from the public about the intersection posing a danger for students and other pedestrians.

Last month, city workers created an “enhanced crosswalk” on the west side of the intersection, using a process known as thermoplastic that’s bright white and has not only the usual pair of parallel lines across the street, but also 10 perpendicular stripes to make the crosswalk more visible.

Owen said the city had only enough material for the west side, but she plans to do the east side later.

“It’s kind of like what we did around Brooklyn School when we did the overlay on Washington, we did a couple of enhanced crosswalks with that thermoplastic,” Owen said. “Just trying to call attention to the fact that there are young people, little people.”

Many students are shorter than cars that are parked along the street near the intersection.

To address that visibility issue, Owen said city officials are discussing painting sections of the curbs yellow to remind drivers that they’re not supposed to park within 20 feet of an intersection.

“In this case, we think we may need to actually mark those corners with yellow paint so people are more aware so they don’t encroach on that so that those kids are more visible,” Owen said. “The kids might be in the crosswalk but because there’s a car so close, somebody traveling on Auburn doesn’t necessarily see them until they come out farther.”

Owen said some residents have asked the city to install a stop sign on Auburn, making the intersection a four-way stop (there are already stop signs on Fourth Street at the intersection).

But she said Auburn is a collector street, designed to move traffic efficiently with a minimum of stops. Owen noted that drivers on Auburn do have to stop two blocks to the east, at Second Street.

“But again, safety of the students crossing is important so we’re going to focus on those crosswalks a little bit.”

“Safety of the students crossing is important so we’re going to focus on those crosswalks a little bit.”

— Michelle Owen, Baker City public works director