Q: Several stoplights seem now to be out of sync with the pedestrian crossing signal. For instance, when you are headed west on William and waiting for the light at Main Street, pedestrians get the white OK-to-cross sign while the traffic signal is still red.

A: Some intersections recently got Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) signal timing, which allows pedestrians to enter the crosswalk before drivers get a green light. The idea is to make them more visible to turning motorists.

LPI is also in use at Catherine and Glen (where a turning bus killed a pedestrian several years ago), at three intersections on S. State near campus (at William, Liberty, and North University), at Liberty and Thompson, and at Pauline and Stadium.

Q: Do you know anything about the candles at the corner of Washtenaw and Golfside?

A: Candles, teddy bears, and plastic flowers decorate a metal post at the corner of a trashy, abandoned lot. Notes written on the post in marker, now almost illegible, indicate the site is a memorial for twenty-four-year-old Brendon Preslar of Ann Arbor. Late in the night last August he ran a red light on his motorcycle and crashed into a car. His life ended at this spot.

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