LETTER TO THE EDITOR:


 

As a long time resident of Prospect Street and mother of a young teenager, I am continually concerned about pedestrian safety. On Feb. 7 at 9:10 a.m. a bicyclist was struck in the crosswalk on Prospect at 35th street. Luckily, the cyclist was not injured, but the bike was unrideable. My primary concern in recounting this event is the difficulty in getting the Metropolitan Police Department to respond and the way the police handled the situation once they finally arrived. Several persons witnessed the accident and were waiting for the MPD to arrive. The response was the fire and paramedics first and then significantly later an officer arrived. The officer confirmed that the bike rider was not injured, and then he turned to leave. The officer stated that since he had not witnessed the accident that there was no further action he could take toward the driver. In fact, he was irritated at us for offering to make a statement and to ask him to go forward with the investigation. Prospect Street is very dangerous due to extreme traffic loads, cars ignoring crosswalks, and traffic speeding down the wrong side of the road to bypass traffic. Yet there is heavy pedestrian traffic throughout the day. Without stepped up enforcement from the MPD, you have the makings for a tragic situation.

– Concerned parents on Prospect Street

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