Speeding Cars, Crashes Cause Whittier Neighbors To Call For Action From City
DENVER (CBS4) - Growing traffic congestion has drivers spilling onto residential streets looking for a quicker route. Those living in the Whittier neighborhood have been dealing with it for years, but say it's getting worse on a particular stretch of 29th Avenue.
Suzanna Reed and her family live near the intersection of North Gaylord Street and 29th in a home they've been in for 15 years.
"We've always understood living downtown, that's what comes with it, but lately it's just been getting faster and more accidents and scarier," she said.
She says there's a one-mile section of 29th Avenue from Downing Street to just outside of Columbine Elementary School that has neighbors concerned.
Along that same stretch is their library, a high school, park and community center.
"Within the first two weeks of school we were almost hit twice, and that's where things started to change for me, and I started to be more proactive, taking pictures of accidents," Reed said.
In just three months she's seen a rollover, a rear-end collision and a crash that sent one van into a neighbor's gas line. All of them happened while walking her children to school.
On top of that, Denver police records requested by CBS4 show at least a dozen more accidents on that same stretch this year alone.
"There's just so much that isn't safe about trying to get anywhere in this neighborhood," she said.
After years of calling the city, Reed and her neighbors started a petition to try and get the issues fixed.
They're calling for a stop sign and crosswalk along the 10 block stretch of 29th, where only a stoplight at York slows traffic, and adding a crossing signal to that intersection and blinking lights in the school zones.
In one weekend they've collected nearly 200 signatures and have already seen some change -- a flashing speed sign at her intersection.
"It must have come in this afternoon because we walked our children to school this morning, and it wasn't there so that's exciting," Reed said with a laugh.
CBS4 reached out to Denver's Public Works Department on behalf of neighbors, and a spokesperson says Denver Police was aware of resident's concerns and was looking into it.
A follow up request to Denver Police for specifics was not returned.
