Grand Island resident urges roundabout after 13-year-old killed at Broadway and South Parkway

William "Bill" Daniels told the Grand Island Traffic Safety Advisory Board that his 13-year-old granddaughter was killed crossing Broadway and South Parkway on Sept. 11, 2024, and asked the board to advocate for a roundabout at that intersection.

Daniels said a subsequent state study concluded the intersection did not meet the warrant to change the traffic signal and that the most recent response was a reduction of the speed limit to 40 mph. He said a petition was circulated after the crash and that, in his view, a roundabout would be a more effective countermeasure to reduce serious crashes than a three-color signal.

“Last picture, like, of my granddaughter… She was killed 09/11/2024 across the street on Broadway and South Parkway on Grand Island,” Daniels said. He later told the board, “She was only 13.”

Daniels said he has discussed the issue with state officials and that the state’s manual on uniform traffic-control devices is expected to be reviewed later in the year; he asked the board to advocate with town and state officials while that process is underway. He said federal funding may cover a large portion of construction costs and that the town’s remaining share could be affordable, though he did not provide a specific funding program or award.

Board members told Daniels they would review the materials he provided and circulate copies to the board and staff for follow-up. A board member said the board would send Daniels copies of the material and discuss next steps.

The board did not adopt or direct a formal action during Daniels’s presentation; members agreed to review the documents and pass them to appropriate town or county contacts for consideration.

Daniels provided contact information and said he prefers written communications. The board asked staff to include his materials in the packet for the next meeting and to follow up on possible town advocacy with state DOT representatives.

The board made no engineering decision at the meeting and did not set a timeline for advocacy or funding requests. The state study, petition details (number of signatures) and specific federal funding sources were not specified during the public comment and remain to be documented by staff.