Highland Park fatal crash prompts calls for traffic-calming measures

Push to make a St. Paul corridor safer after a dump truck hit and killed a woman crossing the street there. And Fox 9's Emily Pofall is live near Ford Parkway in Cleveland tonight. Emily, this is a very busy intersection that people say just keeps getting busier. Yeah, you can see right now it's pretty busy. It's calmed down a bit since rush hour just about an hour ago. But you guys were nearby a major redevelopment of the old Ford plants, which is bringing a lot more traffic to the area and a lot more concern for safety. Regulars of St. Paul's Highland Park neighborhood are still reeling as they step into the crosswalk at Cleveland Avenue and Ford Parkway. They're reminded of the 69 year old woman killed here late last month. She had the walk signal and was in the crosswalk when a dump truck turning left on Cleveland hit her. You know, we're a Catholic church, but... We're here for everyone. Max Huber is the parish director at nearby Lumen Christi Catholic Community and saw the aftermath. I live here too. I live five blocks from here and you can tell that there's a lot more traffic. Redevelopment of the old Ford plant nearby is bringing new families to the neighborhood. But Huber says the infrastructure hasn't kept up and he's concerned the kids walking to his school could get hurt. I worry all the time to just make sure that they're safe. It's caught the attention of city and county leaders. One of the things around there is that we see awesome amounts of new neighbors that also puts stress on the built infrastructure. In a feedback session this week, cataloging suggestions from the community, like flashing crosswalk lights and a protected left turn. If it continues like this, more people will die. City data does show Ford Parkway east of the river as a crash hotspot, though not as much as other areas downtown. CRASH RECORDS INDICATE ABOUT A DOZEN COLLISIONS ON THE CORRIDOR IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. EVERY CRASH SETS HUBER ON EDGE. As a concerned citizen, you want to hear that our voices are heard and that something is going to be done. The city and county don't have specific plans for changes to this intersection. They say this community listening session was just kind of a first step here. Though there are other nearby traffic calming projects, all this part of a citywide transportation safety action plan. In St. Paul, Emily Pofall, Fox 9. All right, thank you, Emily.