Several notable events have occurred at the Hilliard Triangle intersection recently, such as a tragic accident resulting in the death of former 3News journalist Bill Safos.
Currently, Lakewood City Council members and local residents are hosting a press briefing to discuss safety issues at a complex intersection where frequent accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians have occurred.
The press conference is being broadcasted live in the video located at the top of this article. For those interested, live updates are also available on our YouTube channel (don’t forget to subscribe).
Residents have been raising concerns over the past several months following multiple crashes at the intersection of Madison Avenue, Hilliard Road, and Carabel Avenue, including a December incident that killed former 3News reporter Bill Safos. Just this week, a father and his two young children were injured after a car struck their bicycle and trailer.
“In the past several months, Lakewood, Ohio’s most walkable city and American’s most walkable school district (which provides no daily student busing), has experienced multiple incidents between cars and bikes or pedestrians, one of them fatal,” an email from Councilman Tom Bullock read. Bullock and fellow councilmembers like Bryan Evans are expected to join parents and other residents Friday morning to discuss “new solutions.”
Critics say the Hilliard Triangle intersection has been a problem for years, but those fears were brought into the spotlight last Dec. 11, when Bill Safos died after being hit by a vehicle while trying to cross Madison. Although the “Do Not Walk” sign was on, investigators claim the involved vehicle was going 22 mph above the speed limit, and driver Zachary Saliba was later accused of aggravated vehicular homicide.
Following last Monday’s collision involving the father and two kids, the city announced it would hire an outside firm to conduct a review of the intersection. In the coming months, workers will also add more striping to the crosswalks and additional paint to portions of the bike lanes.
“As for this intersection specifically, we are working with Cuyahoga County Planning Commission to review this intersection along with other intersections within our priority listing to incorporate enhanced safety measures,” Mayor Meghan F. George said in response to a Change.org petition calling for changes at both the Hilliard Triangle and nearby Orchard Grove Avenue.
