CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The numbers from the Cleveland police are troubling. So far this year, 133 people have been hit by cars in the city. Eight of them died and 30 were seriously injured.
Stop and think about it: Someone just goes out for a walk or rides a bike, and in an instant, life disappears or turns upside down.
But what if some fairly simple solutions could save lives?
Take college circles, for example. It’s a great place to stroll, with museums, bike paths and Case Western Reserve University nearby.
But did you know that an average of 20 people are hit by cars every year in that neighborhood? So far this year, 12 incidents have been reported and 15 more were near-reported.
“Really, even one pedestrian is too many,” said Becky Voldrich of University Circle Inc., a nonprofit that tracks the numbers. She said they are working with the city of Cleveland to change them.
Just Monday, East 105th near the Nord Family Greenway officially opened HAWK, the high-intensity activation crosswalk.
“Streets like East 105th Street that have some extra lanes and slightly faster traffic have been shown to be effective at slowing traffic and improving pedestrian safety,” Voldrich said.
Drivers won’t notice much because the lights on the HAWK stay dark until a pedestrian or cyclist presses a button to activate the signal.
Voldrich described what happened next, “They will see several changes in the light. It will first go through the yellow sequence and end up in solid red, and once it turns solid red, that’s the signal for traffic to stop so that people can pass safely.” road.”
The HAWK signal is the first of its kind in Cleveland, but surrounding communities such as Lakewood and Palma Heights have already installed such signals. Officials there say they work.
“It definitely has the potential to save lives,” Waldridge said.
A step in the right direction towards the ultimate goal of the organization and the City of Cleveland to have zero pedestrian accidents by 2030.
In addition to East 105th’s HAWK signal, the city plans to install at least three more soon.
Two of them will be on Clifton and one will be on St. Clair in the Glenville neighbourhood.
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