CINCINNATI -- Drivers and pedestrians in Northside are finally getting something they’ve spent years asking for: traffic lights at two of the neighborhood's most dangerous intersections.
Construction was already underway Wednesday night on a traffic light at the intersection of Chase and Virginia avenues, and Northside Community Council vice president Sue Wilke said another light would be installed at the intersection of Virginia and Kirby avenues in early 2017.
Northside residents have rallied for measures to increase walkability and reduce car crashes in their neighborhood since the death of local restaurant owner Sarah Cole, who died after being struck by a car on Hamilton Avenue.
That street received extra traffic signs and a more clearly marked crosswalk to help drivers and pedestrians stay safer, but Northside’s traffic problems don’t end where Hamilton Avenue does.
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Katie Page said she had only lived in Northside for a few months, but she and her boyfriend had already witnessed a number of collisions at the Chase-Virginia intersection near their home.
"(We’ve heard) screeching tires in the middle of the night," she said. "We’ve had to run out and check on people and make sure everybody’s okay."
Her neighbor Joanna Niehaus said she felt the same way. Having spent 11 years in Northside, Niehaus said she believed the light was a long time coming.
"I actually go around the corner because this intersection is so dangerous and there’s so many accidents," she said. "I’m pretty excited that (the traffic light) is finally happening."
