Resident urges crosswalk at Hwy 77 and 4th Street after recent crash; Nebraska DOT to follow up

Larry Chapman, a Cortland resident, urged the Village of Cortland board on Oct. 9 to install a crosswalk at the intersection of Highway 77 and Fourth Street following a crash at that corner on Sept. 28. “It is dangerous for especially for pedestrians and bikes. You need to wait a long time, and it is difficult to judge a safe distance of the vehicles coming through on Hwy 77,” Chapman said during the public-comment period.

The request prompted input from Chad Ziemann, who said he works with the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT). Ziemann told the board that one problem is the village’s lack of a developed sidewalk on the east side of the highway, which limits safe pedestrian movement. He said NDOT engineers would need to evaluate options.

Chapman told trustees he had contacted NDOT’s engineering division and asked a supervisor to call him back but had not received a response; he identified Cameron Hastings as the NDOT staff member he had previously contacted. The board and speakers discussed several possible responses: a painted crosswalk with warning signs, installation of push-button pedestrian controls that would stop highway traffic, use of highway allocation funds or grants for costs, and emergency lighting to aid the fire department’s ability to cross the highway at Apple Road for emergency calls.

NDOT’s Ziemann said he would continue contacting NDOT engineers and report back to the village. The board did not take immediate formal action; the issue remains open for follow-up by NDOT and village staff.