Resident recounts being struck in crosswalk; council agrees to contact MoDOT about signal timing

During reopened public comment at the March 23 council meeting, resident Valerie Howe described a recent collision while crossing Jefferson at Commercial and asked whether the pedestrian phase could be adjusted so walkers get 20 seconds of exclusive crossing time before vehicle traffic receives a green.

Howe said she "walked across the street on Commercial... [and] got hit by a pickup," describing that the vehicle's mirror struck her left hip while she was in the crosswalk. She noted other residents, including a separate driver (Kirk Pierce), had been struck at the same intersection and said she frequently walks there with her grandchildren.

Mayor Jared Carr responded that staff could reach out to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to see what coordination is possible on signal timing at that location and thanked Howe for bringing the concern to the council. No formal policy change or funding was adopted at the meeting; the council directed staff to investigate and report back.

The exchange was recorded during the public‑comment portion of the meeting, and the mayor asked staff to follow up with MoDOT to evaluate whether a pedestrian head start or other signal adjustments are technically feasible and consistent with state traffic control jurisdiction.