When two Arundel officials heard from residents about safety concerns at the Eastern Trail crossing on Limerick Road, they knew they had to do something.

Jenn Shea, director of Arundel Parks and Recreation, and Ben Byrne, the town’s public works director, had their own worries about the potential for an accident where the trail — frequented by cyclists, joggers and walkers  —  crosses the heavily travelled road.

“One of my biggest concerns was the possibility of a child riding a bike ahead of their parents on the trail and approaching the crossing without recognizing the oncoming traffic,” Shea said in an email.

A sign in the middle of the road, on the crosswalk, warns drivers to slow, but Shea and Byrne worried that drivers may not see trail users approaching the crosswalk.

Something more had to be done, they agreed, and got to work.

After doing research, they decided on a flashing crosswalk system that would alert drivers and give them enough time to slow down and stop to allow trail users to cross the road.

“Ideally we wanted a system that would activate automatically through a sensor,  allowing lights to begin flashing a few seconds before someone reached the crossing,” Shea said.

Byrne researched systems that could meet the needs of this situation and presented options to Town Manager Keith Trefethen. Shea prepared and submitted a request for funding to the Tommy McNamara Charity Foundation.

The foundation honors the life of Tommy McNamara, who summered at Kennebunk Beach, enjoyed recreation and outdoor activities and had a strong sense of community.

After McNamara’s passing in 2012, his family and friends continued his legacy by supporting sports, recreation and community opportunities throughout Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport.

The foundation awarded $8,812 to fund the equipment for the crosswalk safety update.

The Arundel Public Works department will do the installation work and future maintenance.

This project is a good example of collaboration, community input and the generosity of a local organization to address a safety issue, Shea said. The solution will benefits residents and trail users alike.

ABOUT THE TRIAL: The Eastern Trail is a 62-mile, multi-use, non-motorized greenway, that connects Bug Light in Casco Bay to Kittery. The trail is a part of the East Coast Greenway which will eventually be about 3,000 miles, connecting Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida. The off-road section connecting Biddeford, Arundel and Kennebunk provides over six miles of trail for walking, running, biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Source: Maine Trail Finder