BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Over the months I've talked with local officials about what can be done to get drivers to slow down on 30th street. On Friday, the city and the state met at the Mayor's office to discuss short term and long term solutions to making this area safer. Long term solutions include creating new ways to divert traffic, while short term solution could include additional enforcement in the area.
I talked with City Council Pete Festersen, just moments after that meeting between local and state officials.
"We're going to keep working with them to advocate for this need because its tremendous and its frustrating from our prospective too... to not make additional progress on the long term here," said Festersen.
Festersen says, the short term solution includes more enforcement from police, Sheriff's deputies and maybe even the state patrol.
"We put signs up.. They put their deals up… law enforcement have been down here a couple times…which is great people do slow down… we all slow down when we see a police man.. We don't want a ticket…but its not doing anything for the long term," Said Jacque Casey, the owner of Crayon Castle.
There will be more discussions about this issue in north Omaha. Neighbors said they appreciate the increased police presence but they believe a street light, would help slow traffic here.
"The accident certainly put a sense of urgency to it but I think there's people down at the city that have my picture on the phone, if she calls don't answer it....because of the years we've complained bitterly to anybody that'll listen," said Connie Rose, the owner of Prairie Piecegoods.
A recent study gave… five options… to making this area safer. However, the city told me many of the options aren't doable because 30th street is also a state highway.
"I don't think we're defeated, I think that hopefully persistence will pay off and hopefully we will end up getting something here to keep this community safe," said Casey.
I'm Melissa Wright your north Omaha neighborhood reporter.
