Kirkland community members play a vital role in ensuring the city’s PedFlag program, which started in 1995, helps keep pedestrian-involved accidents at a minimum.

As part of the Adopt a PedFlag Crossing program, volunteers are tasked with monitoring each of the 90 intersections where the pedestrian flags are utilized to make sure there’s an adequate number of flags for pedestrians to hold out as they cross.

“With that many sites, it’s just not possible for staff to maintain those,” Engineering Program Assistant David Gourlie, who oversees the PedFlag program, said.

The city’s public works department also depends on community members to recommend the intersections where new PedFlag stations should be added. Gourlie added that not all intersections, such as those with electronic signals or stop signs, are eligible.

More information about the city’s pedestrian safety initiatives can be found online at kirklandwa.gov/depart/Public_Works under the “Transportation and Traffic” tab. To request the addition of the PedFlag program or report missing flags at an intersection, call 425-587-3800 or email publicworks@kirklandwa.gov.