Downtown crosswalk.
If you do much walking around downtown, you’ve likely seen a dead crosswalk. Crosswalks are important, especially given that both motorists and pedestrians are getting more and more distracted and less and less likely to clear both ways before crossing a street.
Yep, Van’s the one in the middle.
A couple of months ago, Van Denison of Boy Scout Troop 1o based at St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton Catholic Church in Shreveport, contacted the DDA about a community project. Denison is working to become an Eagle Scout, and the 17-year-old’s last requirement was a community project.
Becoming an Eagle Scout is no easy thing- only 6% of all Boy Scouts eventually achieve that rank. But Van has it in his blood. His Dad Glenn Brannan, co-owner of the Blind Tiger Restaurant, became an Eagle Scout in 1982, and Eagle Scouts run in Van’s family.
The project Denison liked was to visually inspect each and every crosswalk on each corner on each street downtown. To do that, he would need help, and he got it from Boy Scouts and family members from Troop 10 and Troop 5.
On a bracing Wednesday, all showed up, were given yellow safety vests, clipboards and directions and set out. Within two hours, the big job was accomplished and everyone was treated to donuts and drinks at Dripp Donuts.
Our congratulations to Van for pulling a big project off! Once we receive the final notes, all will be forwarded to the Traffic Engineering Department at the City of Shreveport so that they can create a replacement/repair schedule for downtown crosswalks- all thanks to the Boy Scouts.
