Grand Island: Fatal intersection to get safety upgrade

Article and Photos by Karen Carr Keefe

Senior Contributing Writer

The intersection of Broadway and South State Parkway, where a fatal accident occurred last Sept. 11, will have increased traffic safety measures as a result of a state study.

This is the intersection where eighth-grader Leah Mayer was struck and killed by a vehicle while she was walking near Kaegebein Elementary School.

In another crash on Sept. 30, 2024, three people, including two children, were hurt at that same intersection when a motorcycle and a car collided.

The state Department of Transportation did a traffic engineering investigation at the town’s request. The parkway is a state road.

“As a result of our investigation, we determined that we will upgrade and install additional signs and pavement markings at the intersection. This work will be completed by state forces, as weather and resources allow,” a letter from the DOT said.

The DOT also said it will establish a 40-mph speed limit on South Parkway, beginning approximately 1/3 mile south of Broadway Road and extending north to the I-190 interchange ramps.

The state will upgrade crossings at the bike and pedestrian trail along South Parkway, as well. That part of the improvements will go to bid this April.

The safety upgrades are in response to a letter sent in September by Supervisor Peter Marston, Deputy Supervisor Thomas Digati and Highway Superintendent Richard Crawford.

Crawford said, “We have not seen a plan of the upgraded markings that they have proposed. … I don’t know if anything has been approved for any change to the traffic lights.”

The DOT said that, as part of the investigation, it analyzed “the need for a three-color traffic control signal at the intersection,” but there was no resolution stated as to whether the intersection in question met the federal guidelines for installation of such a signal. “These guidelines consider elements such as traffic volumes, crash experience and pedestrian volumes.”

“Any improvement is an improvement,” Marston said, stressing that, since it’s a state road, the DOT dictates what type of mitigation it will do.

As to the three-color traffic control signal the state mentioned as a part of its analysis, Marston said, “I would have to say it’s still under study. My interpretation (of the state’s investigation) was, ‘We’re going to make these changes and what the change is from there.’ You know, every action has a reaction. It sounds to me like this was step 1, and they would continuously evaluate it – which, again, I appreciate that.”

“You know, I think we had a really tragic accident,” Marston said. “I’m really happy they listened and they stepped up. Oftentimes, those requests fall on deaf ears, but they were definitely proactive on this.”

Marston said he expects that, by the summer season, the changes the DOT outlined will be done.

Crawford said, “Certainly, we’re happy that they’ve looked at it and have seen that there are some measures that need to be updated and improved for pedestrian safety, and we’re looking forward to what the actual plan is and go forward from there.”

The state’s investigation involved the review of crash data for the most recent five years of available data, April 2019 to March 2024, as reported by the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

The letter said, “During that study period, there were four crashes reported at the intersection and two known additional crashes after the study period. All of the crashes, including the crashes that occurred outside the study period, were considered during the analysis.”