Citywide Safety

The city has come a long way in safety, but still has many improvements to go, particularly for pedestrians and school children.

What some in the community may not know, is that we now have a dedicated funding source for these improvements. The money from tickets from the 24 hour speed cameras on 178th, by law, can only be spent on traffic and pedestrian safety and there is a long list of ways we can improve (Complete Streets Basics). Referring to our Safe Streets Study, we have a blueprint on which projects should go first. In fact, there are ten projects listed by priority that we can use to get started – the first are streets in front of the elementary schools.

Although we’ve already installed several flashing crosswalks, which have helped greatly, many intersections could also use these safety enhanced crossings. Ballinger in particular needs additional pedestrian crossings.

And it’s time we seriously talk about converting Perkins to a one-way street—carefully and in conversation with all those living nearby—and using the downhill lane as an Interurban Connector and linear park. Perkins has been a favorite of late-night street racers for long enough and it’s time it was a little quieter and a lot safer. And if half of it becomes a green bike and pedestrian corridor, the scary raceway through a picturesque tree covered ravine will become a positively iconic path through the city.