Residents urge action on Pershing Boulevard speeding as city pledges follow-up; officials praise winter-storm response

Two residents urged the commission to address speeding and pedestrian-safety concerns on Pershing Boulevard and asked to be included in neighborhood conversations.

"I'm not screaming for a speed bump. I'm screaming for some action to happen on the street because this has been going on for decades," Paul Kerrigan told commissioners, urging one-to-one outreach to residents who may be intimidated by application processes.

Ed Jeske, who lives on Pershing, described the street as having "a lot of speeding going on there, and there's a lot of kids," and said a speed bump or additional signage "would be definitely beneficial." Both commenters asked the city to consider changes that do not rely solely on resident petitions.

Deputy City Manager Miss Lofton said the civil engineering department and the department of police have collaborated and are reviewing the black-box traffic results and are formulating recommendations. "...we will make sure we follow-up with the community and the neighborhood, to assess the viability of those those recommendations," she said.

Lofton also used her remarks to recognize city staff for response to a historic winter storm. She said the city stood up its emergency operations center and that more than 12.5 inches of snow fell in a single day, nearly the 15 inches accumulated overall. She praised public works for keeping 44 snowplow trucks staffed and operational and noted coordination with regional partners to maintain public safety and keep essential services running.

Lofton said the city will follow up with neighborhood leaders on traffic recommendations and credited interdepartmental coordination — including public works, police, fire, airport operations and public affairs — for a successful response to the storm.