Hi, when driving on Highway 115 and South Nevada (Avenue), I see a sign that says “Gold Pass Heights” but it is pointing into the Stratton Home area.  Is Gold Pass Heights a new development on the land?  Since I am fairly new to the area, what exactly is the Stratton Home?

– Lorraine T.

ANSWER: The Myron Stratton Home was a beautiful gift to this city’s indigent elderly and children.

Winfield Scott Stratton was one of those who made a gold-mining fortune in Cripple Creek in the late 1800s. He died in 1902 and left his fortune to establish the home, named for his father, Myron Stratton.

In recent years, the sprawling, green campus became the Stratton Consortium, adding a new dimension to Stratton’s legacy. Not only are there residential facilities for low-income elderly, there are other support services for the community.

Partners in Housing helps homeless families work toward self-sufficiency, including housing.

TESSA is the nonprofit dealing with domestic violence and sexual assault.

Peak Vista Community Health Centers, a nonprofit health center, provides medical and dental services for the uninsured and underinsured.

Early Connections Learning Centers is a nonprofit early care and education center.

Four-way stop needed

How do we get a 4-way stop or signal for our area? We need installed safety measures at the corners of Issaquah (Drive) and Peterson (Road) due to school traffic. Peterson is a wide street and children run across to a park on the west side of Peterson at Issaquah. There is not even a crosswalk! The Indigo Ranch neighborhood is at the mercy of the school traffic. We cannot exit onto Peterson in the mornings or in the afternoons. Many vehicles are going well over the posted speed limit. Our neighbors and I have reported this dangerous situation to the city, to no avail.  Please help. There will be a terrible accident at this intersection.

— Wadene Duffy

ANSWER: Our city Traffic Engineering Department Department said it follows federal standards in the placement of all traffic control devices such the stop signs and traffic signals being requested. Traffic Engineer Dave Krauth said, “After reviewing this intersection, it has been determined that it does not meet any of the criteria for a 4-way stop sign or a traffic signal. In regards to the crosswalk, at any intersection, unless otherwise posted, crosswalks do exist whether they are marked or not (by City Code, crosswalks are the extension of the sidewalk across the intersection). Traffic Engineering does not typically mark crosswalks across uncontrolled legs of intersections (in this case across Peterson) due to safety concerns.

“Research and history shows that by marking crosswalks in this manner, accidents actually go up. We believe,” said Krauth, “this is due to two things. First, in a marked crosswalk, many people ‘assume’ a level of protection as it is marked. Secondly, when in an uncomfortable situation, we see that people tend to pay closer attention to their surroundings before making a design to cross the road. Also, with the location unmarked, pedestrians tend to only cross half way and stop to verify that it is still clear on the second half of the road. We do not see this attention as much as we would like when the crossing is marked; once in the crosswalk, pedestrians tend to continue across assuming that all cars are going to stop.

“We will continue to monitor the location and see if there are other devices we might be able to utilize that will help pedestrians cross safely. These could include advanced pedestrian warning signs on Peterson.”

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– “Did You Ever Wonder?” is going on hiatus.