by Lisa Schauer
Early last week, eagle-eyed motorists spied a new pedestrian crosswalk on N. Washington Street across from The Country Inn, where a crosswalk once was, before it was paved over a couple years ago.
In a public meeting held at Bath Town Hall on Tuesday, July 21, Councilwoman Mary Lynn Hickey asked who painted the crosswalk at The Country Inn, noting it didn’t look straight.
By the end of the week, the crosswalk was gone again, replaced by two black stripes on the road.
photo by Lisa Schauer
According to a source at the West Virginia Division of Highways (DOH), the crosswalk was painted by someone using white spray cans, and was unauthorized to paint them. The white paint has been covered over by DOH.
State code prohibits a pedestrian crosswalk in that area, due to all the traffic coming through, according to the source. But that might be reevaluated once the U.S. 522 bypass is open at both ends.
West Virginia State Police were involved in the investigation into who painted the crosswalk, using video surveillance from nearby businesses.
Video footage reportedly shows two young men walking through the area early one morning, but trees conceal part of the frame, so nothing more can be seen.
Locals report it is not the first time over the years someone has taken it upon themselves to re-paint a missing crosswalk on Washington Street.
Previous Bath councils had sought the return of the crosswalks in the pedestrian-heavy blocks of Berkeley Springs, as a way to protect visitors crossing from one side of Washington Street to the other between shops and restaurants.
Kate Shunney contributed to this story.
