DAVIDSON, N.C. — There's a renewed push to keep pedestrian problems at bay in the town of Davidson after two North Carolina senators filed SB 227. This comes after there have been multiple deaths since 2011.
The bill was filed Wednesday calling for $600,000 for improvements around Davidson.
Davidson created a Pedestrian Safety Task Force and a Vision Zero Initiative in the summer following a fatality in 2021.
They've added signs, lights, and crosswalks at certain intersections. But, this new bill filed within the General Assembly by Senators Natasha Marcus and Vickie Sawyer would bring more enhanced sidewalks, flashing beacons, and raising/widening of sidewalks throughout the town.
Haley Hardwick works in downtown Davidson and says she was almost hit. She says it's very busy downtown and cars seem to not slow down.
"It's a conversation we have up at the office a lot because how many crosswalks can you add or how many more lights can you really have?" Hardwick asked.
Since 2011, there have been three deaths along downtown Main Street. The most recent was in June of 2021 when a 64-year-old woman was killed crossing the street.
The Pedestrian Safety Task Force was created shortly after that.
The $600,000 sum would be provided for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
Contact Colin Mayfield at cmayfield@wcnc.com or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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