PHILADELPHIA, OCT. 27, 2006:
For a third straight year, State Sen. Mike Stack today delivered
a $250,000 state grant to step up police patrols and traffic
enforcement along Roosevelt Boulevard in Northeast Philadelphia.
The funding comes at a necessary
time, following the recent tragedies of three pedestrians on the
dangerous thoroughfare.
“The tragic death of 15-year-old
Shawna Cleary, 11-year-old Jamir Randall, and serious injury of
another man recently remind us that the Boulevard is a deadly
highway, both for drivers and pedestrians,” said Stack
(D-Philadelphia). “Red-light cameras are not enough. We need
police officers on the Boulevard, enforcing the law and
protecting us.”
The $250,000 PennDOT grant will be
used to fund police overtime for targeted traffic enforcement
along 12.5 miles of the Roosevelt Boulevard, from 9th
Street to the county line.
Roosevelt Boulevard is one of the
most dangerous roadways in Pennsylvania and it has the terrible
distinction of having two of the most dangerous intersections in
the nation, according to a 2001 State Farm Insurance study.
In response, in 2002, the
Philadelphia Police Department launched the Roosevelt Boulevard
Accident Reduction Initiative, which led to decreases in
fatalities, injuries, and total accidents.
In the program’s first two years,
the number of fatalities fell from 21 in 2001 to nine in 2002
and seven in 2003.
“Traffic conditions on the Boulevard
affect all of our constituents”, said Rep. Mike McGeehan
(D-Philadelphia). “Last year, the initiative generated over
5,000 hazardous moving violations. That is 5,000 pro-active
measures that ensure our constituents can travel safely to work,
their homes, shops, and restaurants.”
In addition to the grant, elected
officials are pushing for public hearings and other measures to
improve safety on the Boulevard.
“While the reason these recent
accidents have come all at one time may be a coincidence, it
provides the catalyst for a change that is long overdue”, said
Councilman Frank Rizzo. “The public safety of Philadelphians is
paramount. I am sponsoring hearings in Philadelphia City
Council to address the dangers of Roosevelt Boulevard.”
The hearings will focus on long-term
solutions to Roosevelt Boulevard safety issues, while the grant
will continue to support the police department’s initiative.
Over the past few years, Stack has worked with PennDOT to secure
over $1 million in funding for this program.
“Too often, I see mangled cars
abandoned on the side of the road and makeshift memorials where
people lost their lives to motorists who are going too fast or
driving recklessly,” Stack said. “I will continue to fight for
funding to make the Boulevard as safe as possible.”
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