An uptick in accidents has driven local leaders, police, and residents to celebrate the installation on Sunday of rapid flashing lights at the intersection of Swiss Avenue and North Munger Boulevard, reports NBC DFW.
Residents of the historic Swiss Avenue neighborhood in East Dallas say that particular intersection is dangerous because of heavy traffic and cars that often speed through there.
“It’s our little slice of heaven, not just for us, but for the whole city of Dallas, and we don’t want people to drive like hell through it,” long-time resident David Dean told NBC DFW. “Many people don’t realize, but the middle of our street for a mile long is a city park. It’s the Swiss Avenue Linear Park.”
Dean, who is the chairman of the Swiss Avenue Historic District, worked with Dallas City Council Member Jesse Moreno and others to install the flashing lights in the hope of making the street safer, according to WBAP.
The new lights are supposed to make things safer for that neighborhood and specific intersection. Additionally, they are intended to help improve safety for those who are participating in marathons in the surrounding area.
On the day of the installation, there was still debris from an earlier wreck in the day.
“There was an accident within 50 feet of where we are,” Dean told NBC DFW about the earlier accident. “A two-car accident knocked out our historic lights here on Swiss Avenue. Thank God no one was injured.”
On the afternoon of the installation, Dallas Police pulled over several different cars, a real-time indication of the potential danger that exists for pedestrians, bicyclists, people with strollers, and people walking their dogs.
“Dallas, unfortunately, is trending up in pedestrian fatalities and pedestrian incidents,” Moreno suggested. “So, what we want to do as a city, is make sure we’re putting in the tools to remind folks that pedestrians do have the right of way.”
Additional plans call for the installation of extra crosswalks at another intersection to provide more safety.