Graham council reallocates $600,000 state grant for beacons and park plan

The Graham City Council voted Tuesday to reallocate money from a 2023 state budget allocation, diverting part of a $600,000 grant originally pushed to reinstate raised, stamped crosswalks around Court Square. The decision funds pedestrian flashing beacons at the four intersections while leaving the larger question of Sesquicentennial Park improvements and possible relocation on the table.

Former mayor Jennifer Talley had repeatedly urged that the funds be used to restore raised, stamped crosswalks, arguing they were both aesthetically pleasing and a safety improvement and saying she had approached state senator Amy Galey to secure the funding for that purpose. New mayor Chelsea Dickey challenged that assumption at the council meeting, saying the 'stamped crosswalks,' which she said Talley had characterized as 'traffic calming measures that would help with safety,' would not actually improve safety.

Dickey proposed an alternative: equipping each of the four crosswalks with 'rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB)' mounted on signs. She presented the RRFBs as a proven countermeasure, citing the Federal Highway Administration’s listing of the device as a validated safety tool. The flashers can be pedestrian-initiated by a push-button or triggered by motion sensors, and were presented as a lower-cost, more effective option than the stamped, raised crosswalks Talley had advocated.

"If our goal is safety, and I think it should be," Dickey told the council, "the flashing lights would be a considerably more effective and economical approach, freeing up hundreds of thousands of dollars for work on the Sesquicentennial Park." Public works director Burke Robertson provided cost estimates that ranged from $4,500 to $20,000 per crosswalk, depending on configuration, and explained the beacons could be powered by electricity or solar. Robertson said batteries for the flashers would have a lifespan of eight to ten years, solar perhaps 20 years.

The council was unanimous in allocating $84,000 to install the RRFBs, but split 3-2 on moving $486,000 of the remaining funds toward costs associated with mayor pro tem Ricky Hall’s proposal to relocate Sesquicentennial Park. Council members Young, Whitaker and Chin voted to transfer that amount; Dickey and Hall opposed the move.

For downtown residents and business owners, the immediate outcome means quicker action on pedestrian safety hardware at Court Square intersections rather than the textured, raised crosswalks some had expected. The larger allocation and the future of the $486,000 remain tied to a contested proposal to relocate Sesquicentennial Park, a decision that could reshape downtown open space and require additional public input and planning.

Residents can expect installation planning for the flashing beacons to proceed and the council to continue debating the park relocation and final use of remaining grant funds at upcoming meetings, where public comment and budget details will influence next steps.