DALLAS — In the wake of a recent chain-reaction crash that sent seven individuals to the hospital, the City of Dallas is set to make changes to the roadways on the west side of Bishop Arts.
However, local residents contend that these changes were already in the works, and many believe they do not adequately address the ongoing safety issues in the area.
Plans include relocating a stop sign at the intersection of Kings Highway and North Tyler Street and introducing new parking signage to enhance visibility, according to a conceptual plan reviewed by WFAA.
These changes were approved before Saturday’s incident, which occurred less than a hundred yards away at the intersection of Tyler and Davis, based on documentation from the planning process.
“It’s a repeated incident that we see over and over again,” expressed neighbor Kat Gamber, who has been advocating for improvements since February.
Gamber mentioned that she had even collected signatures for a petition earlier this year, illustrating the community’s desire for action.
“It seems like actually getting the ball rolling on a project and finding the funds for it don’t necessarily match the urgency that this intersection has,” she stated.
She added, “I think there have to be bigger solutions than signage and a stop sign.”
Concerns regarding road safety in Dallas extend beyond Bishop Arts.
On the east side, near the intersection of Abrams and Victor, Rachel Feig has been pleading with city officials for nearly a year to implement traffic safety improvements after numerous accidents.
Feig described a particularly alarming incident when a driver crashed through her kitchen, emphasizing the potential dangers faced by residents.
“It’s scary to me and disappointing and disheartening,” Feig stated.
“We’ve gotten lucky how many times now? How many times is it going to take for someone to get hurt or killed?”
She also noted that a crash occurred on the road while she was meeting with representatives from the City’s Transportation and Public Works Department earlier this month.
Despite these ongoing conversations, she has yet to see any safety changes implemented in her neighborhood.
The slow pace of action from the Transportation and Public Works Department has drawn frustration from some city leaders as well.
Council Member Chad West made headlines in May by criticizing the department for failing to prioritize the safety of residents, particularly following delays in addressing another high-accident intersection located just two blocks from the recent crash site.
In a statement released on Monday, West remarked, “Saturday night’s car crash was another tragic reminder that our city continues to prioritize cars over safe streets.
The City’s Transportation and Public Works Department must do a better job keeping our pedestrians, small businesses, and drivers safe.”
In response to inquiries from WFAA regarding the slow implementation of safety measures, a city spokesperson stated that improvements that may seem effective in theory might not be the safest when put into practice.
“Therefore, all traffic safety improvements require thorough study and design by the department’s engineers to ensure they follow federal traffic safety guidelines before they are implemented,” the spokesperson explained.
The city also emphasized the importance of collecting data on traffic patterns and crash history, noting that assessing the impact of any changes requires time.
“The goal is to make streets safer for all modes of transportation,” they concluded, reminding the public that traffic safety measures work best when all road users, including drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists, respect and adhere to traffic laws.
Dallas police are still investigating the cause of the Saturday accident, although they reported that one of the drivers involved was critically injured and taken to the hospital.
image source from：wfaa
