Lincoln neighborhood pleads for traffic light at deadly intersection

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A Lincoln neighborhood is hoping to bring a dangerous intersection to the city’s attention.

Rosina Paolini, the vice president of the Indian Village Neighborhood Association, says 10th and High streets is in dire need of a traffic light.

The neighborhood is across the street from Van Dorn Park.

Paolini said the traffic there makes it incredibly difficult for people to cross the street.

“The overall goal is to improve the safety of that access to the park and the area so that we can reduce crashes,” she said. “It’s all about reducing crashes.”

There are no traffic lights or crosswalks at the intersection.

Paolini said drivers fly by at high speeds, making it dangerous for pedestrians.

“It’s blind-sighted from both directions; you really can’t see over the hill,” she said.

The neighborhood association conducted an experiment.  Paolini said a bicyclist waited at the road and it took between three and four minutes before traffic cleared up enough to cross.

Paolini said some people are forced to drive to the park to keep their families out of a dangerous situation.

But she has noticed some younger kids who try to race across the intersection.

“So far, they haven’t been hit, but we have had two people hit in this intersection,” Paolini said.

The crashes she’s referring to happened back in 2020, within just a few months of each other.

In March, a motorcyclist was killed after colliding with a pickup truck.

SEE MORE: One dead after motorcycle vs pick-up crash in southwest Lincoln

A memorial display still sits at the intersection for the 21-year-old who died.

And in July of that year, another motorcyclist was hit, suffering serious injuries.

SEE MORE: LPD: ICU nurse gave injured motorcyclist CPR until paramedics arrived

Paolini said this August, an Indian Village Neighborhood Association team will do a walk audit.

The team will tour the neighborhood and mark off a checklist of what they notice.

Then, the results will be turned in to the city.

Paolini hopes this will help bring more attention to their concerns.