SPOKANE, Wash. — The City of Spokane is working on plans to change a dangerous intersection in the Emerson Garfield neighborhood.
The intersection of North Washington Street and West Buckeye Avenue is considered dangerous for drivers and pedestrians. It has seen plenty of accidents over the past few years.
The city council has two different plans to make the intersection safer and prevent future accidents.
The first plan includes building a curb that would block the southbound lane from traffic and allowing one northbound lane into the neighborhood.
“We like the blocking off the intersection plan. I think that would solve a lot of problems,” said neighborhood resident Caleb Hutchins. “But any kind of action is better than what the current situation is.”
Another neighbor said she wants to see more signage at the intersection to alert drivers and doesn’t think blocking off a lane would help.
The other plan would be to block both lanes with concrete planters.
“About six months into living here, a car flew through Washington, straight through the intersection,” said Hutchins. “Instead of curving a little bit, they went straight through our yard, straight through our fence.”
Hutchins and his wife said it cost them $8,000 to replace their fence two years ago. Insurance money covered it the second time it happened following a crash. They also installed rocks in front of their house to hopefully stop cars from damaging their property.
“It seems like usually people are drag racing up Washington,” said Hutchins. “Often teenagers racing their buddies. They go up Washington, they don’t realize that it jags a little bit. They think it’s going to go straight so they keep going straight and straight is into our fence.”
Hutchins says he hopes the city will step in before anything else happens.
The Spokane City Council is not likely to vote on any of the proposed plans until spring and construction would not begin before early summer.
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