This petition is to gather votes that ask the Village of Homewood to install a traffic light at the intersection of 183rd St. and Center Ave.

On July 22, 2020 there was a fatal and horrific car crash right in front of my house at the intersection of 183rd St. and Center Ave. I ran to the scene moments after it occurred and waited for first responders to arrive. I stood two feet away from a 19-year-old boy who was trapped in his vehicle fighting for his life. It's something I hope I never have to see with my own eyes again. Responders had to completely dismantle the vehicle door by door and seat by seat to free him from the entrapment. He died later that day.

This is not the first time that there has been a near-fatal or fatal car crash at this intersection. If you are familiar with the intersection, Center Ave. is not a perfect cross-street past 183rd. 

When you want to cross 183rd St. and remain on Center Ave., you'll find that you have to cross 4 lanes of traffic on 183rd St. while you veer diagonally across heavy traffic. While stopped at Center, the visibility of oncoming traffic both from the other side of the street on Center and on 183rd. St. is low.

Compounded with that complexity is the fact that many drivers ignore the 30mph speed limit and routinely go 50, 60, or 70 mph down 183rd St. through all hours of the day and night. 

There is a stop light at the intersection of Aberdeen, and another one at Riegel, but the recent fatality has shown that those lights simply aren't enough to stop dangerous speeding down 183rd St, and they also don't solve the poor visibility and difficult maneuvering of Center Ave.

The specific intersection of 183rd St. and Center becomes a very hazardous intersection when considering it's difficult navigation, 4-lane cross, and folks deciding to speed heavily and regularly.

This petition is to gather votes that ask the Village of Homewood to install a traffic light at the intersection of 183rd St. and Center Ave., which will regulate more cautious approaches and lead oncoming traffic from Center to safely turn onto 183rd.