Cranberry Township is examining locations in the community where crosswalks and other pedestrian-safety measures are needed.

A recent tragedy confirms that such discussions are crucial.

Last weekend, 77-year-old Thomas Jarzab of Oil City was struck by a vehicle and killed while crossing the road near the intersection of Route 19 and St. Francis Way.

That very location inspired plans earlier this year for a $750,000 update that includes a crosswalk and pedestrian signal that is expected to be completed by February.

Just two months before its debut, the need for additional pedestrian safety measures at the township’s busy intersections was made plain by a horrific event.

At the time of Jarzab’s death, there was no signal or crosswalk — just a sign across the road that prohibited crossing the street.

Cranberry has some of the county’s busiest intersections due to the large amount of development that’s going on there. The township’s manager has called one juncture — Routes 19 and 228 with Freedom Road — the busiest in Western Pennsylvania.

Some of these locales are being addressed. For example, the massive MSA Thruway project to connect Cranberry Springs and other developments north of Route 228 with MSA and allow for access to Cranberry Springs from Interstate 79 will have a component to make the area more pedestrian friendly.

Others — Jason Kratsas, the township’s director of engineering and environmental services, cites the intersection of Route 228 and Cranberry Woods Drive due to its large span — are considered infeasible for crossings.

But with all of the construction in Cranberry, the township should ensure that safety initiatives for pedestrians are keeping up with the development.

We’re glad to hear Kratsas’ assertion that Cranberry has an annual goal to increase pedestrian infrastructure, and that the township has increasingly added sidewalks in the 24 years since the creation of its comprehensive plan. It’s also great that new township developments are required to install sidewalks on roads abutting their properties.

The township should also continue to investigate sites it refers to as “missing links” — locations where pedestrians might want to travel that lack safe means of doing so.

It’s understandable that projects take time. The intersection where Jarzab was killed already was scheduled for an improvement. It just wasn’t completed in time to possibly save his life.

Cranberry Township should determine which are the most dangerous intersections in the community and put them on the fast-track for safety measures.

— NCD