COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Colorado Springs has announced a detailed plan to reduce traffic accidents citywide by 35% by 2035, with a focus on dangerous intersections where more than 65% of all crashes occur.
City Traffic Engineer Todd Frisbie presented heat maps Thursday showing where the most crashes take place across the Olympic City. He said the reduction target is data-driven.
"Our goal is to reduce crashes in the city by 35% by 2035. That number was not pulled out of the air," said Frisbie.
Frisbie said progress is already being made.
"We've seen a five to 7% decrease in fatal crashes per year since 2021," said Frisbie.
City data shows more than 65% of all crashes happen at intersections, with the rate of severe crashes even higher. One change already visible to residents is the no-left-turn restriction at the General Palmer statue intersection.
"Since we've implemented these restrictions, we've had zero left turn crashes in the east west intersection," said Frisbie.
I spoke with pedestrians in the area to ask whether they had noticed a difference.
"I like that they have bike lanes. I ride (my scooter) from here to Nevada (Avenue) and Southgate (Road)," said one pedestrian.
Others described close calls on city streets.
"I've had a few close calls, but other than that it's okay," said another pedestrian.
"I nearly got hit one time, but I don't pay it no mind," said a third pedestrian.
As Colorado Springs continues to grow to the east, I asked Frisbie how the city's roads and intersections could expand alongside that growth. He said the answer lies in building flexibility into new infrastructure from the start.
"We incorporate those kinds of features into our design as a way to be proactive," said Frisbie.
The City of Colorado Springs now has a resource that shows all the data related to traffic safety. To view the resource, visit the City of Colorado Springs website.
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