Traffic safety report on O Street
LPD’s fight to lower traffic violations and possible solutions to fix speeding
People who have lived in Lincoln know that O Street has a fair amount of traffic violations and accidents. Sightings of cars in an accident or speeding happen on a daily basis. The Lincoln Police Department (LPD) has decided to focus its resources on O Street as a result of traffic violations. This initiative started on May 24, 2024, and ended on Aug. 31. The results may be shocking.
This initiative was launched in 2023 with a differing schedule, which resulted in 372 written warnings and 662 traffic citations. In 2024, 779 citations were issued and 368 warnings were issued as well. Based on the numbers, the police gave significantly fewer warnings than citations. Of the 288 speeding violations that took place, only 31 people were given a warning.
Is there a way to decrease the number of speed violations on O Street without the need for cops? Nairobi, Kenya, decided that speed bumps were the solution. They have been added by schools, residential areas, crosswalks, truck entrances and seemingly random locations. Multiple speed bumps in Kenya lack adequate markings indicating a speed bump, such as high-visibility paint on the speed bump and signs warning of the speed bump ahead. While speed bumps can be effective, they have been known to damage cars and the occupants inside of the vehicles. In Nebraska, it would be difficult for snow plows to function properly if they became a common occurrence.
O Street is a hybrid of a road and a street, also known as a stroad. Stroads are common in America and their function is to move vehicles as quickly as possible while connecting businesses. They often have wide lanes that are fairly straight, with multiple lanes that cross in the middle of the city. Strodes encourage quick vehicles, which often leads to vehicles going over the speed limit. There are multiple ways of slowing down traffic without the need for officers. Making roads more narrow can make drivers more cautious and alert while driving. Having curves in the road forces drivers to slow down. Having trees nearby can also cause the illusion of moving fast. Having a cutout of a police car can also work, although it would need to be moved every so often so that it doesn’t lose its surprise effect. Slower traffic means safer traffic for everyone, not just pedestrians. Good road design can prevent speeding, unnecessary accidents and move LPD’s money into projects that are more important. Citizens should not be ticketed because of bad road design.
by Stuart Cuateco