MISSOULA - West Broadway in Missoula sees a lot of traffic daily.
There are shops, hotels, restaurants, a shelter, and a hospital in the area. However, not only does Broadway see vehicles, it also sees a lot of pedestrian traffic.
“The 26-year-old female driver, sole occupant, and she struck the pedestrian in the roadway. Pedestrian was not in the crosswalk," Missoula Police Department spokeswoman Whitney Bennett said.
Watch to learn more about what's in the works for West Broadway:
A MEANS alert was put out Monday evening by the Missoula Police Department after a 40-year-old woman was hit by a car and injured.
“We did have the roadway closed from about Toole all the way up to McCormick," Bennett stated.
City of Missoula Public Works and Mobility Planning Manager Aaron Wilson says while Broadway is one of the busier streets in town, there are few protected crossings with signals.
“There's only maybe four or five crossings for pedestrians, which isn't a lot given how many destinations you have," Wilson said.
Wilson notes that sometimes people may choose to walk across wherever is convenient rather than go out of their way to a crosswalk.
“We want to avoid pedestrians just crossing willy-nilly wherever," Wilson said.
To help both drivers and pedestrians, the city is looking at ways to improve safety in the area.
“We have an improved intersection at Broadway-Toole-California that will help make that smoother for both vehicles and for people trying to cross the road. We recently put in what we call a rectangular rapid flashing beacon at Broadway and Owen, right there at the hospital. Then, we're looking at another project at Burton and Broadway," Wilson explained.
While these projects are being worked on, MPD wants drivers to stay alert and slow down in busy areas like downtown.
“Is it worth your life or somebody else's life to just hurry up and try to rush?” Bennett offered.
