pedestrians.

      A few years ago, it did not set aside any money just for them. Now, it is
      designating more than $5 million for new sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes
      and other small but important ideas. The city is even starting to use
      bright lime-green road signs in place of the ubiquitous old yellow ones
      that officials here say no longer seize the attention of many motorists.
      In the past year, no other children in Santa Rosa have been struck and
      killed by cars.

      Benton, a mild-mannered bureaucrat whose vocation is the arcane science of
      traffic engineering, can hardly contain his glee about the changes.
      "See--look at that!" he exclaimed one recent afternoon while walking near
      a middle school crosswalk. A new overhead sign flashing an image of a
      pedestrian had slowed oncoming traffic blocks in advance.

      "We still have a long way to go," Benton said. "But I think we're slowly
      but surely starting to create a whole new feeling on the streets."

      © 2000 The Washington Post Company