Everyone agrees it isn't safe for pedestrians to cross Scenic Drive's five lanes in front of the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency in Modesto.

But a proposal to eliminate the crosswalk there and relocate a bus stop on the crosswalk's north side has drawn stiff opposition from physically impaired patients, so the City Council asked for new alternatives Tuesday.

Before opponents even spoke, council members made it clear that the city staff's original plan would not be approved.

The staff then suggested rerouting buses through the parking lot of the Health Services Agency, which formerly housed the county hospital. The council agreed that the parking lot route might be safer and more convenient.

"This really is a big deal to our patients," said David T. Jones, spokesman for the Health Services Agency.

In a survey conducted by the agency, 74 percent of patients said it would cause them hardship if the bus stop were moved to Scenic and Bodem Street, as originally proposed.

That proposal was inadequately researched, said George Sharpe, who spoke on behalf of the Disability Resource Agency for Independent Living. Sharpe agreed, however, that keeping the crosswalk and bus stop on Scenic is not safe.

"That's a very fast roadway," said Sharpe, who uses a wheelchair. "I've almost been hit many times there."

Whether it is feasible to reroute buses through the parking lot is not known. City staff will research that option and bring it back to the council.

In other action Tuesday, the council, by unanimous vote:

• Awarded a $20.1 million construction contract for a new Ninth Street bridge over the Tuolumne River.
• MCM Construction of North Highlands will replace the 70-year-old bridge, which is not seismically sound. Construction is scheduled to begin in November and to end by June 2005.
• Purchased a $215,000 armored vehicle for the Police Department's Special Weapons And Tactics team. Lenco Armored Vehicles of Massachusetts will supply the high-tech van, which will replace the city's 21-year-old SWAT vehicle.
• Referred to committee an ordinance that outlaws selling sweets near schools. The council was going to repeal the decades-old law that bans "any confectionery product" from being sold within 1,000 feet of a campus.

But after Chrysler Elementary School Principal Tom Freeman said portable vendors near his school cause traffic hazards, the council agreed to study the issue more before deciding.

Bee staff writer J.N. Sbranti can be reached at 578-2196 or jnsbranti@modbee.com.

Reprinted by permission of the Modesto Bee.