Like many residents of Chattanooga I was saddened and shocked by the accident that occurred last Saturday on Frazier. That said I was not surprised.
Like many I love my city of Chattanooga. Pedestrians and cyclists downtown are not the only ones at risk. The way that the majority of our city streets have four lanes means that the speed of traffic is well past safe for the density of the areas these streets pass through. There are fatal traffic accidents in this city on a weekly basis and the countless accidents with injuries that cause long term suffering for those affected, that really could be any one of us.
I personally am willing to sacrifice the ability to drive my car anywhere from 40 to 60 miles an hour on our city streets to know that we as a whole are safer. Prioritizing speed over safety was a mistake.
As for those calling for studies, well, there are studies that already exist. I really am confident that car traffic will actually flow more smoothly but even if that were not the case I can live with a few extra minutes added to my commute if that means we don't have anymore children run down by errant cars in our city.
I know that mostly good people live here and I know that no one wants that. We can work together as a city to make immediate improvements now. I am confident that we can do this and that safety can be the main goal of transportation infrastructure within our city.
Byron Spence