'Shared space' detailed for downtown Sandpoint

SANDPOINT - The town of Poynton, England, could provide inspiration for the future of downtown Sandpoint transportation.

At a Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce luncheon Thursday, Sandpoint Public Works Director Kody Van Dyk detailed how the community, divided by an intersection of two very large, busy streets, was in decline as pedestrians and motorists struggled with the awkward design.

The solution: Take away the traffic signal and allow pedestrians and drivers to share the space without significant control mechanisms.

Without a green light encouraging drivers to jet into the intersection, traffic slowed to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. The process of transforming Poynton is detailed in a short Youtube documentary, "Poynton Regenerated."

A similar approach is on the table for one of the more awkward intersections - Church Street, First Avenue and Bridge Street - in the proposed reconfiguration of downtown Sandpoint traffic flow. While there are plenty of control mechanisms being considered for the intersection, Van Dyk said he's leaning toward the Poynton-inspired method, saying the combination of slow, attentive drivers and alert pedestrians could be what Sandpoint needs for a calm, walkable downtown.

It's just one of the new features proposed under the street reconfiguration the city is pursuing with Idaho Transportation Department. Approved by the council last month, the changes include implementing two-way traffic on Fifth Avenue with a center turn lane.