Public Safety: City of San Diego Urged to Repair and Redesign Faulty Community Roadways
by Michael Pines, San Diego’s Safety Ambassador
In today’s busy world, we generally don’t think about road design and whether it is safe – we expect proper construction and design to be a standard as we use city roads. Unfortunately, road design failure can be an everyday occurrence – and you may not even know it until it is too late.
One of the city’s intersections, Pacific Highway and Cedar Street, has a dangerous reputation since it lacks a traffic light and has caused twelve other accidents from 2006 to 2009. Now, the city of San Diego will pay $1.8 million dollars to the family of Kenneth Charles Sully, 58, a motorcyclist killed at the accident-prone intersection in Little Italy.
The City Council unanimously agreed to approve the
settlement to Sully’s family. Many community members came forward questioning the city’s lack of response to the accident and why the city hadn’t made any changes to the dangerous intersection. While the settlement was awarded, the city did not acknowledge any wrongdoing under the agreement.
The importance of road design and proper construction falls on the city’s shoulders – public safety isn’t just police and fire, as City Attorney Jan Goldsmith explained to San Diego citizens as part of the settlement agreement.
“A word to the wise of those working in this city who are responsible for the safety of our people,” warned Goldsmith, “There is a zero tolerance in this city for this kind of ignoring of public safety.”
Pacific Highway and Cedar Street became dangerous when the city created a left-turn lane on Pacific Highway’s southbound lane in 1997. There were no left-turn yield signs or turn signals to help support the new engineering, causing confusion as drivers blindly turned left onto oncoming traffic. And due to budget constraints, the city did not fix the problem despite community complaints.
Petition San Diego to do their part to prevent future injury or wrongful death
There are countless other dangerous road conditions that have caused car accidents, personal injury, or even wrongful death. As responsible San Diegans, let’s work together to inform the city of potential dangers they may otherwise not catch.
Potholes
Potholes can be dangerous since they often cause flat tires, needless swerving, and property damage. If you see a pothole or another risky road situation,
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To report a pothole, call:
City of San Diego: (619) 527-7500
County of San Diego: (877) 684-8000
Overgrown Trees
If an overgrown tree is covering a stop sign, or traffic light, accidents can happen. Call the city and report any overgrown shrubbery, especially if it’s on the road or blocking road signage. You can even
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