Duluth officials have proposed some potential changes for a well-traveled road that has already seen two fatalities this year.
In the wake of the fatal crashes within weeks of each other, community members began to call on Duluth officials to make changes on West Skyline Parkway. According to a Northern News Now report, residents have complained that people drive too fast on the road, particularly at its intersection with 14th Avenue West.
Those residents also say there aren’t enough protections for bikers and pedestrians in the area. One fatal crash in February involved a 70-year-old pedestrian. Witnesses to the accident said it was obvious that speed was a factor, and if there had been a speed limit sign or a marked crossing the accident may not have occurred at all.
The other accident involved a 26-year-old who had rolled over and gone off the road.
In a public meeting at Lincoln Park Middle School, Duluth officials suggested short-term solutions like changing the Skyline Loop to a one way road, adding a pedestrian walking lane, adding more signage, and re-grouping trail connections around the park. The hope is that these partial solutions will do more to keep pedestrians out of harm’s way as the city works to address more complicated safety concerns.
Duluth officials did not share what long-term solutions for the West Skyline Parkway problem could look like. The City has done a great deal of data collection on speed and traffic on the road to guide the decision making process for its future.
