Ken Birkins, a Vermilion resident, told the Vermilion City Council on Monday that a stretch of Liberty Avenue between Derry Dock and the north-side bridge is “a tragedy waiting to happen” because of high vehicle speeds and no barriers separating cars from walkers, joggers and children.

Birkins said the road is heavily used by pedestrians, including those with strollers and children on bicycles, and that speeds often appear high. “I feel that this is a tragedy waiting to happen in this, in this little resort town,” he said during the council’s public-comment period.

The concern centers on the block from Park Drive (near the former Huggins site) to the bridge on the town’s north side, where Birkins said there are two lanes of traffic, little protection for pedestrians and a gap in sidewalks. He recommended converting the stretch to a single lane or otherwise installing traffic-calming measures and barriers to reduce speeds and protect people on foot.

Council members did not take formal action during the meeting on Birkins’s request. A staff member later referenced that the police department has speed-sensing devices on Liberty Avenue and tracks vehicle counts and speeds, but Birkins said he rarely sees enforcement patrols there.

Why it matters: Birkins told council the problem intensifies in June through August, when Vermilion’s population increases during the summer season. Without physical separation or active enforcement, he said, there is an elevated risk of pedestrian collisions on a stretch used by residents and visitors.

The council did not establish follow-up direction during the meeting; the comment was recorded during open-to-the-audience public comment, and staff or police were asked to follow up after the meeting. The transcript does not record a specific motion, study assignment, timeline or funding decision tied to this request.