pedestrian safety
To stop or not to stop; the Police Chief answers the question
Aug. 13. By Dave Vieser. With new pedestrian crosswalks already in place on West Catawba and Jetton Extension and more on the way—Meridian and Catawba, North Main and Legion, and Torrence Chapel Park—there seems to be some confusion as to when a motorist can legally proceed. “If a pedestrian has crossed the roadway and the […]
Could speeds come down on Bethel Church?
July 17. By Dave Vieser. The Cornelius Town Board is asking the NC Dept. of Transportation (NCDOT) to reduce the 45 mph speed limit on Bethel Church Road, between West Catawba and Staghorn at the end. The request will be reviewed and analyzed by the NCDOT. The town has actually received several requests to lower […]
New crosswalks coming on West Catawba
May 14. By Dave Vieser. Town officials say two new crosswalks on West Catawba Avenue, which should be installed and activated by Memorial Day, will be a big step toward making the two-lane artery safer for pedestrians. But they’ll be torn up shortly before a $34 million widening project takes place in 2028-2029. Background Joan […]
New pedestrian crossings planned for W. Catawba
Nov. 22. By Dave Vieser. With the widening of West Catawba Avenue several years away, the Cornelius Town Board has decided to spend $216,000 on two new pedestrian crossings, one near where a pedestrian was killed in 2022. It will take about four months for them to be designed and fully installed. The locations—West Catawba […]
US pedestrian deaths are at highest level in decades. Here are some tips from Chief Baucom
June 27. By Dave Yochum. More than 7,500 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle accidents last year, continuing a troubling trend of elevated rates that began in 2020. Indeed, deaths of people walking surged 19 percent between 2019 and 2022. Pedestrian deaths rose a troubling 77 percent between 2010 and 2021, compared to a 25 […]
What does ‘yield to pedestrians’ even mean?
Jan. 30. What do you do when pedestrians are nearing a crosswalk? Yielding is the law, but stopping is great, too. With so many new signals going up around town, such as the Westmoreland HAWK signal, the town’s Heads Up Cornelius program is going over how to interact with pedestrians and cyclists in different situations. […]
Crosswalks on W. Catawba not coming soon
Jan. 10. By Dave Vieser. On the morning of Nov. 30, a pedestrian was killed in Cornelius after being struck by an automobile on West Catawba Avenue near the intersection of Westmoreland Lake Drive. The scene of the accident is about midway between Nantz Road and Westmoreland Road, where no crosswalks exist on West Catawba […]
HAWK means stop when flashing
Dec. 15. By Dave Vieser. The High Intensity Activated Crosswalk signal on Westmorland Road west of I-77 is now in a flashing test mode. This will continue for at least a week before the system is fully activated, probably before the New Year. When it is activated, and a pedestrian pushes the walk button, the […]
Pedestrian hit on W. Catawba passed away
Dec. 1. The pedestrian hit by a car early Wednesday morning passed away last night as a result of her injuries. In a press release issued at 3 pm Thursday, the Cornelius Police Dept. said Joan Messier, of Chandler’s Landing Drive was not using a crosswalk at about 7:06 am Nov. 30. Earlier today Atrium […]
Woman hit by car | update
Nov. 30. A pedestrian is in Atrium Main with life-threatening injuries after being struck by a car at the intersection of Westmoreland Lake and West Catawba this morning. Cornelius Police identified her as Joan Messier. CPD would not release her age, but voter registration records show a Joan Messier on nearby Chandler’s Landing. Police said […]
