The City of Reno is planning to make improvements along West 7th Street after complaints from residents about the number of crashes that have happened in the area over the past few years.
The City of Reno's Public Works Department and the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) have been working to evaluate, design, and implement a variety of engineering solutions to improve safety that include flashing beacons, improved street lighting, pavement rehabilitation, and more.
After a lot of community feedback about the intersection, RTC says the City of Reno proposed to have RTC study the intersection and how traffic functions within it to address some of the issues.
"We're looking at the geometry and the speed," said Josh MacEachern, the Public Information Officer for RTC of Washoe County. "So the big thing for us is always, how do you control and mitigate speed? How do you control drivers' attention?"
Residents who are directly affected by the reckless traffic say they're skeptical if the study will work since there have been failed attempts in the past.
"They placed boulders here because people have continually run through property," said Gregory Swindle, a resident in the area. "I mean, we do have a new fence because every other month someone runs through the fence."
Alan Dehlinger, a 40-year resident, adds, "The last crash we had here, the guy took out one of those arrow signs about three weeks to a month ago, and nothing but crickets. They haven't been here to fix it."
Dehlinger also mentions, "The city put a nice flashing 25 mile-per-hour sign a half mile up the road; it worked for like three weeks, and everybody speeds through there."
He also pointed out someone speeding in real time during the interview, saying, "That person there is speeding, that person there is speeding, and not paying attention to the signs. The signs don't work."
RTC says one of the ways they try and control reckless driving is by adding those flashing signs. They'll also be adding a new pedestrian hybrid beacon to be installed by the end of August.
MacEachern says to make effective changes, RTC wants to look at the data from the study they will be conducting, such as tracking speed counts and overall traffic. Once they have this information, they will be able to devise a plan they can present to the City of Reno.
But some residents think conducting a study is not going to be effective.
Swindle says, "It's incalculable, the amount of danger people are put in, and I think that's a problem when you send an engineer. They have to calculate something. They can't calculate the number of times you hear tires screeching, the number of kids that cross the street, the amount of drunk drivers. It's ridiculous."
He tells us he's even using his own car as a shield to his home in case a car crashes in their direction.
"I've lost a car," he said. "The car that's sitting there right now is damaged. I keep it parked there. I don't drive it in protection of my house and my property."
Swindle also tells us what he expects from the efforts the city and RTC are putting in.
"Safety improvements for my family, and my neighbors, and me, and the kids who cross the street every day at three at eight in the morning, and the drivers who are unsuspecting," he said.
He adds, "Improvements and safety—it's pretty simple."
