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Residents urge city to make Dallas Road crosswalk safer for children
Summary
At the Oct. 13 Committee of the Whole meeting residents described near-misses and visibility problems at the Dallas–Westminster crosswalk and urged tree trimming, repainting, speed tables, and a flashing pedestrian sign to protect children on bikes and walking to school.
Ashley Cole, a Devonshire resident, opened public comment by asking for a staff response and describing repeated safety problems at the Dallas–Westminster crosswalk. “My two oldest bike to school daily and cross this intersection frequently,” she said, arguing the crossing has “poor visibility” because of trees and utility obstruction and because the crosswalk sits lower than the roadway. Cole said she has photographs and asked council to visit the site.
Cole suggested a suite of near‑term fixes: remove tree overhang, repaint or add high‑visibility striping, relocate the crossing to improve sight lines, add curb sections where missing, and install speed‑reducing measures such as speed tables. She also requested a flashing “stop for pedestrians” sign at the crossing, saying, “I have sat at this intersection with my kids, with a baby in a stroller, and cars just zoom by.”
Eleven‑year‑old Wesley Conyers, a student at Central Intermediate School, told council he had a recent close call while biking across Dallas Road from Westminster. “A couple weeks ago, I almost got hit crossing the road… they started going and nearly missed my front tire of my bike,” he said, and asked the city to take steps to keep students safe.
Mayor and council members acknowledged the complaint and staff said a city staff member would follow up with Cole if she left contact information. Council did not take a formal vote but discussed site visits and potential solutions—both engineering (striping, curbs, crossing relocation) and education (a communication specialist campaign). Staff and council indicated further review and likely follow‑up engineering study as next steps.
