Seattle, WA
‘Knowing what happened here is just such a tragedy’: Safety upgrades called for following woman hit and killed
Intersection the place younger girl was hit and killed by SPD, was due for upgrades
The intersection the place a pupil from India was hit and killed by police on Monday night time, is a part of a protracted envisioned strolling and biking hall. The Thomas Road Redefined Challenge has been within the works since 2013 however Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell lower greater than $2 million from it final 12 months.
SEATTLE – The intersection the place a pupil from India was hit and killed by police on Monday night time, is a part of a protracted envisioned strolling and biking hall.
The Thomas Road Redefined Challenge has been within the works since 2013 however Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell lower greater than $2 million from it final 12 months.
Seattle Neighborhood Greenways has been in help of this challenge and is accustomed to the problems at Dexter and Thomas the place Jaahnavi Kandula died.
“Understanding what occurred right here is simply such a tragedy,” stated Gordon Padelford, Govt Director of Seattle Neighborhood Greenways.
Padelford says concrete islands, together with bushes are a part of the upgrades slated for this intersection.
“There are already some non permanent upgrades right here however extra undoubtedly must be finished,”stated Padelford.
These upgrades slender the space folks should cross, and Padelford believes that within the ultimate design, extra will likely be finished to make it a good safer crossing.
He says Dexter/Thomas would have been the primary protected intersection within the metropolis.
After we requested Mayor Harrell about eradicating funding from Thomas Road Redefined, he despatched us this assertion:
Dealing with a major decline in revenues funding transportation initiatives, together with a $64 million drop off in Actual Property Excise Tax sources forecasted over two years, employees on the Metropolis had been pressured to make exceptionally troublesome selections to prioritize, rethink, and scale back funding for a wide selection of security and infrastructure initiatives. The Thomas Road investments had been diminished within the proposed funds, eradicating $2.2 million of $5.5 million from the challenge in response to the falling income forecast, together with reductions in Actual Property Excise Tax, Business Parking Tax, and different transportation revenues. No extra funding for the challenge was restored by the Council throughout the modification and ratification course of.
The funds continues to fund $3.3 million for the Thomas Road challenge, together with $2.4 million in Metropolis Gentle sources and $821,000 of Panorama Conservation and Native Infrastructure Program (LCLIP). Following approval of the funds, the Mayor’s Workplace has directed Metropolis departments to reevaluate how the challenge ought to greatest transfer ahead, what enhancements might be made with the present funds, and what additional steps ought to be taken to enhance security alongside the hall ought to extra sources develop into out there.
Proper now there isn’t any set date on when Thomas Road Redefined will likely be completed however teams like Seattle Neighborhood Greenways simply hope it will get accomplished.
“It does not have full funding at this level nevertheless it’s an actual key strolling connection between South Lake Union and Uptown, and we’d like to ensure this protected intersection is absolutely constructed,” stated Padelford.