(Omaha, NE) -- The City of Omaha announces a pedestrian safety pilot program for the Blackstone District.
The area has been the scene of a number of pedestrian accidents, some fatal, which prompted the move by the city. The pilot project will change the center lane from 36th to 40th Street into a left turn lane. City leaders say traffic lanes will be narrowed, while parking lanes will be widened to create a bigger buffer between traffic and pedestrians on the sidewalk. Unsignaled pedestrian crossings and new signs will also be added.
One person was killed and two others were injured in separate incidents in the Blackstone District over the past year.