There are big developments in NBC 5 Investigates' months-long series Driven To Death. Dallas city leaders are now proposing lowering the speed limits on sections of Loop 12 in Southern Dallas.
In February, NBC 5 Investigates analyzed crash data from the Texas Department of Transportation. They revealed that five pedestrians were killed in just 11 months on a short stretch of Loop 12/Ledbetter Boulevard near Bonnie View Road.
After NBC 5’s reporting, State Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, called a meeting with the city and TxDOT to examine safety on Loop 12, which the reporting has shown is the deadliest roadway in the city.
On Wednesday, the Dallas City Council postponed action on an ordinance that would lower speed limits on parts of Loop 12, including the stretch where so many have died in a short period of time. Since NBC 5's initial report, new TxDOT data showed a sixth pedestrian was killed in roughly the same one-mile stretch of road.
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Council members delayed action Wednesday until next month because some would like to see additional road sections considered for lower speed limits. Councilman Jaime Resendez said staff needs more time to work on the plan.
“Reducing speed limits, it's part of the solution. It's not going to solve all of our problems, especially if people are not going to follow the law anyway," Resendez said in an interview with NBC 5. "This is just part of the holistic approach we are taking to this problem."
The city, TxDOT, and the North Central Texas Council of Governments are also now looking at design changes to physically slow speeds and to create safer pedestrian crossings on Loop 12.
You can see the entire series of reports, Driven to Death, here and below.
