Pictured is the intersection of Baker Street and Hazeltine Avenue in the city of Jamestown. A city councilman said this week that possible changes to the intersection were being considered. P-J photo by Eric Tichy

There could be changes coming to an “awkward intersection” in Jamestown.

City Councilman Joseph Paterniti, R-Ward IV, discussed the possible upgrade of Baker Street where it meets Hazeltine Avenue during a work session this week.

Paterniti said he received an email from Mark Roetzer Jr., the city’s acting Public Works director, who shared with him some of the proposed changes. The intersection is located next to Persell Middle School.

Because Baker Street is a county-maintained road, Paterniti said the county would be “taking the lead” on any possible redesign “to make it a safer intersection and thoroughfare for those young students.”

It was not specified to the City Council what the upgrades may actually entail. The county Department of Public Facilities did release the following statement Friday:

“The Chautauqua County Department of Public Facilities and the City of Jamestown Department of Public Works are joining forces to enhance traffic safety around Persell Middle School. Their primary focus lies on potentially revamping the Hazeltine Avenue intersection with Baker Street, with plans to incorporate sidewalk enhancements as well. As of now, we are still in an early planning phase. Once city engineers finalize the design, the project will progress for review and approval. Ensuring student pedestrian safety remains our top priority throughout this collaborative effort.”

Councilman Jeff Russell, R-At-Large, who also chairs the council’s Public Safety Committee, said a street light on Baker that’s part of a crosswalk to Persell has not been working. At present, the light continually flashes yellow, and Paterniti indicated that its repair will be expensive.

“As we get towards summer when they begin the project, we’ll have to look into why it’s going to cost so much — maybe get ahold of the DPW, the (Board of Public Utilities), whoever is responsible for the lighting and make sure we get a working light there for the students to cross safely,” he said.

During this week’s City Council work session, Mayor Kim Ecklund noted that a light might not be necessary next to the school, depending on the work that takes place.

A middle school student in December 2021 was struck by a vehicle while walking across Hazeltine Avenue. The mishap occurred in the morning, and the student was taken to the hospital for an evaluation.

Dr. Kevin Whitaker, Jamestown Public Schools superintendent, acknowledged Tuesday after a school board meeting that different designs or new elements for the roads near the middle school were being considered. He noted the use of speed bumps to deter speeding as one of the options he heard.

“It’s an awkward intersection, and because it’s an awkward intersection and the desire of kids to cross right there (at the plaza) it puts kids in a strange position,” Whitaker said. “We have added, with the city’s help, crosswalks in that area. We have increased our supervision along the roadway and that has prevented any additional issues. But it remains an awkward intersection.”