Lincoln residents near O Street say show-off drivers are a persistent problem

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – After a deadly crash on O Street over the weekend, Channel 8 spoke to a few residents in the area to see what it’s like living near the busy road.

Neighbors gave mixed reviews about noise, but many were concerned about safety.

One woman said her family enjoys the cruise night every Memorial Day weekend. She hopes that city officials can come together with those who like to cruise the road and find a way to make it safer for all.

“Let’s make it an event for everybody to be safe so that things aren’t going wrong anymore,” she said. “It happens in front of our house. We go and participate. We enjoy watching the cars and the motorcycles, and love watching the crowd.”

Most neighbors complained about the road noise, saying people are revving their engines every weekend and even more often in the summer.

One person said she can’t even open the windows at night because it’s so loud, and she need her sleep.

Another woman said, “every once in a while, you know, you think, good grief guys, go home and go to bed. But it isn’t terrible. It’s not ruining my life, not ruining my house. As long as they are safe, and having fun, go for it.”

Most neighbors agreed that the noise wasn’t just coming from cars, but also from motorcycles.

One neighbor said they might even be more dangerous because of the way some drive.

“Weaving in and out of traffic constantly, back and forth. They are trying to buddy ride,” she said. “They are not using their signals when they are going over, and that is my frustration with O Street as a resident off of O, is the motorcycles.”

Many complained about the intersection of 52nd and O Streets in general.

“52nd and O is a terrible intersection,” one woman said. “Living here, I don’t know how there aren’t more accidents. There are still plenty of accidents right there, and as you’re turning into Hy-Vee there, it is so blind there.”

We expect to hear more from the Lincoln Police Department this week on precautions it plans to take in the future.