[ad_1]
Austin Martin of Jefferson County says he wants to see Hwy. A safer one in southern Jefferson County for those touring it.
Because of this, he developed an online petition to convince the Missouri Department of Transportation to install a traffic light at the intersection of the highway. A and Pioneer Road / Highland Baptist Church Road east of Hillsboro.
Pioneer Road is on the south side of the intersection and Highland Baptist Church Road is on the north side.
The petition follows a head-on collision near the intersection on May 15, in which two people were killed and three children were seriously injured.
Martin, 28, who lives near the intersection, said he posted his petition on change.org on May 16 and gathered nearly 1,000 signatures in a short period of time.
Two days later he forwarded the petition to MoDOT.
You can find his petition and related information at change.org/
Hillsboro traffic signal.
Martin said people could still sign it. The petition also offers space for opinions.
“People were commenting on (the site) and talking about the deaths,” he said.
A MoDOT spokeswoman said the agency had received the petition and was investigating whether the intersection warranted a traffic light.
“We became aware of the situation and are looking into it,” said Marie Elliott, communications manager for MoDOT St. Louis District. “We know the petition and are looking into it. Our traffic specialist and engineer will look at the traffic dynamics in the area. “
Martin says he thinks a traffic light is appropriate.
“In my opinion, not only would it make the intersection safer, but it would also force people to slow down the entire stretch of the highway. A, ”said Martin, who lives with his pregnant wife Andrea in a nearby housing estate. “It’s more than just the intersection. It’s the entire lane. People are racing on the two-lane motorway. “
Martin also said it was dangerous to turn off the highway. A onto Pioneer Road or Highland Baptist Church Road when motorists are racing by.
As an example of an effective traffic safety measure, he pointed to another set of traffic lights east of the intersection.
“Look what we have with the traffic light on the highway. A and Highway. Z-junction, ”he said. “It forces people to slow down.”
Martin said he was worried about the traffic on the highway. A for some time, but the May 15 accident spurred him to start the petition and ask the MoDOT to install a traffic light at the intersection.
“I don’t know the people in the accident, but I am concerned about the safety of my family and the community,” he said. “School buses leave the Outer Hwy. A and have to get back on the highway. A.”
He said highway. A is busy at times from all of the houses that have been built in the area in recent years. “We built our house two years ago,” he says. “We built new. Once we had built, we realized how congested the area is. The building boom continues. Everyone wants to build in the Hillsboro School District. “
Martin, who works in advertising, said after he and his wife moved into their home they quickly learned how much traffic there was on the hwy. A, and in his opinion, how inconsiderately many people drive on the road.
“There are serious accidents,” he said. “Not just fatalities. There are many T-bones and rear-enders. “
Should the MoDOT decide against a traffic light at the intersection, he asked the authorities to consider other types of traffic safety measures.
He said he was eagerly awaiting a decision.
“They said it could be four to six weeks before I call back,” said Martin.
He said he was relentlessly striving for a traffic light.
“I intend to stick with it,” said Martin. “If a signal can prevent an accident or save a life, then it’s worth installing.”
[ad_2]
