Crawford Street has been identified as the most dangerous roadway in Salina, according to findings presented at Monday's City Commission meeting by Kevin Kroll of Toole Design Group.
The comprehensive safety action plan, which has been in development for nearly two years, analyzed crash data from 2019 through 2023 to identify high-risk areas throughout the city.
"Crawford Street is the roadway that was most dangerous in our analysis," Kroll told commissioners. "It's also the one that came up most in our conversations with the public."
The study revealed that 35% of crashes on Crawford Street are rear-end collisions, while 48% are angle crashes. These accidents typically occur when drivers attempt to stop in travel lanes to make left turns or when vehicles turn out from side streets.
"That's 17% of all rear-end crashes in the city of Salina along this one corridor, and about 10% of all angle crashes," Kroll noted.
The safety study's high injury network analysis showed that while only 14% of Salina's roadway miles account for 76% of fatalities and serious injuries, Crawford Street stands out as particularly problematic.
Among the recommendations for improving safety on Crawford Street is a lane reconfiguration from four lanes to three lanes, which would include a dedicated center turn lane. According to federal data presented at the meeting, this change could result in a 47% reduction in crashes.
"The major benefits of that is essentially you have no more conflicts with somebody trying to stop in a travel lane and turn left. There's a dedicated turn lane available for that," Kroll explained.
Additional recommendations include adding midblock crossings with rectangular rapid flashing beacons, particularly along the stretch between Broadway and 9th Street, which is almost a mile long without any designated pedestrian crossing.
During a walk audit conducted in March, Kroll's team observed pedestrians, including a group of children, attempting to cross the busy roadway between designated crossings.
The city recently applied for a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant to implement these safety measures. The comprehensive safety action plan will be used to apply for additional grants to address safety issues throughout Salina.
The plan is expected to be finalized in the next month, with a final report to be presented to the Commission for adoption.
