Houston transportation advocates and metropolis officers are calling for safer pedestrian crossings after a teen was struck and injured by a motorist Tuesday afternoon whereas crossing a avenue close to his college.
An 85-year-old driver didn’t yield the best of method and hit a 15-year-old who was attempting to cross the road on the intersection of Westheimer Highway and Eastside Road, close to Lamar Excessive Faculty, in line with the Houston Police Division.
A video of the incident, printed by native TV station KHOU, has reignited calls to enhance site visitors security not solely on the busy intersection however throughout the town.
Houston Metropolis Council member Mary Nan Huffman mentioned throughout Wednesday’s council assembly that she visited the intersection and voiced her considerations in regards to the space’s security.
“I noticed three extra kids virtually get hit at this identical crosswalk,” she mentioned. “Due to how Eastside aligns, the crosswalk would not really align with the sidewalks, so the crosswalk sort of zigzags throughout the road, which I feel is inflicting some confusion. … It is extraordinarily harmful.”
Later Wednesday, Houston Mayor John Whitmire mentioned the town would set up a pedestrian-activated site visitors sign on the intersection.
“The mayor agrees the present crosswalk design is flawed and has directed Houston Public Works to start the method to put in a Excessive-Depth Activated Crosswalk (HAWK),” the mayor’s workplace mentioned in a press release. “This method will permit college students to activate a crimson mild for protected crossing.”
Robin Holzer, the manager director of LINK Houston, an equitable transportation advocacy group, mentioned a HAWK sign may very well be costly and will not be greatest for that individual intersection. The sign would value between $400,000 and $500,000, in line with a spokesperson for Whitmire.
“We love listening to Council Member Huffman and Mayor Whitmire speak about avenue security and site visitors as a result of it is tremendous vital,” she mentioned. “Nevertheless, the mayor’s present insurance policies take many of the inexpensive options off the desk proper now. So I heard him say we must always spend half 1,000,000 {dollars} so as to add a selected sort of site visitors sign at this intersection … that is the most costly, partly efficient method to do that.”
Holzer mentioned a number of extra inexpensive choices may very well be adopted alongside Westheimer and all through the town to enhance pedestrian security — particularly, decreasing the width of site visitors lanes from 10 to 12 toes in order to not promote dashing.
“Proper-sizing journey lanes is a tactic. Hardening the double yellow line so drivers don’t drift throughout it’s a tactic,” she mentioned. “Including a splitter island or a pedestrian refuge in order that an individual strolling can cross the primary two lanes safely after which sort out the subsequent two lanes safely is a tactic. … There’s plenty of good ways.”
In a press release to Houston Public Media, a Houston ISD spokesperson mentioned the district was working with native officers to make sure security for college students touring to and from college.
“HISD PD is coordinating with HPD and METRO Police to strengthen site visitors enforcement within the space,” the district spokesperson mentioned. “The security and safety of our college students is our high precedence, and households can anticipate to see officers within the space throughout arrival and dismissal instances as we work with our companions to assist protected crossings.”
Whitmire has come underneath repeated criticism relating to his administration’s selections on highway design. METRO, along with the town, started eradicating a raised crosswalk alongside Westheimer Highway close to Crocker Road in March, simply two years after the crosswalk was put in on the request of residents.
Different site visitors security options have been eliminated alongside Houston Avenue. Within the Montrose space, Whitmire revised a plan that might have rebuilt Montrose Boulevard with narrower automobile lanes and shared-use paths for cyclists and pedestrians.
Holzer mentioned that whereas it could be best guilty incidents like Tuesday’s on distracted drivers, security measures have to be taken to forestall future collisions.
“Relating to public security, we will’t simply say, ‘Properly, that driver tousled. Disgrace on them,'” she mentioned. “We’ve to make the context work higher for everyone as a result of each Houstonian deserves to get residence safely tonight. We will do higher.”
