Ways to improve crosswalk safety are currently being reviewed by the Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor Community School District Trustees, specifically focused on the northernmost crosswalk between the YMCA and the elementary and high schools.

It’s the one usually used by students after school, as they head to the Y. While police officers routinely man it when school is dismissed, it’s a common path at all hours of the day and evening.

Southbound cars come upon it very quickly when they come up the slight incline near Hammond Lumber, and more than one motorist has shaken in his boots when he approached the crosswalk and found students headed to or from either the school or the YMCA. It’s very blind, especially at dusk or after dark.

Crosswalk safety has been a concern of ours in recent years, probably due in part to our age. We’ve paid special attention to crosswalks in other communities, which are much better marked (and thus, safer) than ours.

There are lots of ways to make our crosswalks here in Boothbay Harbor more visible to oncoming traffic.

All we have to do is look at what others have tried and found to work.

The trustees are looking at raising the height of the crosswalk signs and placing an additional warning sign well ahead of the approach. They’re also investigating signs completely outlined by flashing lights like those you see as you approach in-town Bath, headed north. It’s hard to miss them.

Brunswick, likewise, has a couple of very bright crossing signs, one along the river near the walking bridge connecting Brunswick and Topsham, and another not far from the church across the street from the Bowdoin College campus. Both of these need to be activated via button.

The in-the-road lights in some towns which outline the entire path of the pedestrian, from one side of the road to the other, are highly effective, and probably costly to install and maintain.

Also pricey, but at work all the time, is the highly reflective paint — not the kind we traditionally use on crosswalks, but the kind that’s visible from a great distance.

What we like about the paint is that it’s a constant; it doesn’t hinge on having pedestrians activate a warning that they’re about to cross. It’s a great back-up plan no matter what other safety improvements are put in place, simply because folks, especially younger students, don’t always bother to use an activation system.

We’re pleased that school maintenance director David Benner and the trustees are looking at all of their options for this very dangerous intersection. We hope a solution there will lead to improvements at other crosswalks here on the peninsula, because it’s not the only place where pedestrians and motorists alike have near-misses.

Let’s support any efforts to protect our pedestrians, particularly our youngsters who move fast and don’t always stop to think about their safety.

That particular crosswalk is used scores of times each day as students go between school and YMCA activities.

It definitely needs improvement.