GREENVILLE (NBC 26) — The crosswalk across Highway 15 at Hyacinth Lane in Greenville continues to be a subject of controversy among residents and lawmakers.
- As we've previously reported, a pedestrian was hit in the crosswalk recently, and the state Department of Transportation says solutions will come at the expense of the Village
- At its meeting Wednesday night, the Greenville Village Board says the DOT previously determined that a tunnel or bridge over the crosswalk would not be feasible, but flashing signage is possible
- The Board will meet with the DOT on July 24 to discuss the possibility
- Video shows the crosswalk and residents expressing their concerns
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story, with additional details for the web)
An accident at this pedestrian crossing concerns parents and neighbors here in Greenville. They've brought those concerns to the local and state government, but the Village Board meeting Wednesday night led to more questions than answers.
There are baseball fields on one side, and a popular ice cream shop on the other.
After a pedestrian was recently hit in the intersection, parents are worried.
"I personally will not allow my son go to [Greenville Community] Park with his friends without me," parent Brittany Helf said. "I don't trust him to cross the street safely."
The crosswalk goes across state Highway 15 at Hyacinth Lane.
The Village Board members say the project has been discussed with the State before — but that ideas of a bridge or tunnel across the highway were shot down.
"They actually recommended doing nothing, and at the time, that was the best answer we had," board president Jack Anderson said.
"Maybe the answer is just not to allow any pedestrian traffic down there," trustee Dean Culbertson said.
The board says they've contacted the Department of Transportation about getting flashing lights at the crosswalk, and are meeting with the DOT soon for guidance.
"I want to make sure that it's very clear — it's a state project," trustee Brian Mulroy said.
The residents say they need to act quickly either way.
"To see the children trying to cross from the park to The Twist [ice cream shop] — if you are going to stop for them, which you should in a crosswalk, you nearly get rear-ended, every time," a resident named Janet said. "We have to have more safety dedicated to the pedestrian traffic in this village."
The Village Board did not take action on the crosswalk Wednesday night, but scheduled a meeting with the Department of Transportation for later in the month.
