Intersection of Cordata Parkway and Stuart Road unsafe
The new WCC health professions Education Center is situated at the intersection of Cordata Parkway and Stuart Road. Opening this fall, the facility will attract both vehicle and pedestrian activity to an intersection which is already in need of traffic control.
Traffic on Stuart Road has stop signs at Cordata Parkway. Traffic on Cordata Parkway does not. Volume on both streets is substantial, particularly during peak periods. Sadly, many drivers on Cordata Parkway ignore the 35 mile per hour speed limit, and enforcement is lacking.
Both roadways present a long distance for pedestrians to cross. There are no crosswalks, and drivers rarely yield right of way. There are numerous senior housing developments in the neighborhood, and some people have disabilities.
Visibility is limited by trees in the Cordata Parkway median. Left turns from Stuart Road in either direction are risky.
The solution to this problem is simple and inexpensive. A million dollar roundabout is not required. The model is half a mile to the north at Cordata Parkway and Horton Road. Make the intersection of Cordata Parkway and Stuart Road a four way stop. This would require two new top signs, one each for northbound and southbound Cordata Parkway. Also, mark four new crosswalks, two for each street. This is how traffic is controlled safely, effectively and inexpensively at Cordata Parkway and Horton Road.
Our neighborhood is growing rapidly. In addition to the new Education Center, there is new and proposed housing construction, retail and commercial development, and extensions of existing roadways. The time for action is now, before there is an injury. Procrastination does not enhance public safety. The city needs to protect the students, seniors, and everyone else in the neighborhood.
-Gregory Karam
