Clark Lane Safety Questioned

Clark Lane in northeast Columbia has received more than $7 million in improvements, but some residents are worried it is not enough and that the road is still dangerous.Residents are concerned about a lack of shoulders and sidewalks on parts of Clark lane. The Missouri Department of Transportation added a roundabout, bike lanes and concrete medians over the summer, along with other improvements, but the work has since stopped.That development has some people who use the road concerned about safety and it may not get better anytime soon.Resident Linda Little says she believes there should be a sidewalk for people who have disabilities or do not drive.”They need to be considered, provision needs to be made for them, mainly for their safety,” said Little.”Little has lived in the area for 20 years and says most of the people she sees using the road are people in wheelchairs or those who cannot afford a car.”I don’t want an accident to occur and then in hindsight, I would be sitting there going, ‘I did nothing,'” said Little.MoDOT pointed out Tuesday that there have been improvements to help foot traffic nearby, but Clark Lane still has needs.”There is a section in between where we do not have sidewalks,” said MoDOT engineer Mike Schupp.The agency does want to make improvements, but currently the project is unfunded. MoDOT says Clark Lane is on its capital improvement list but right now, there are other priorities for the money that is available, and they add that residents decide which projects are funded.The City of Columbia tells ABC 17 News that they are looking into provision along nearby Ballenger Road.