City Leaders discuss possible solutions to Providence & Carter Lane

Columbia’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission met tonight to continue the discussion about the problems at the intersection of Providence Road and Carter Lane.

A MoDOT representative was at the meeting on Wednesday night to answer any questions that the commission had about continuing problems at the intersection.

The representative made it clear that even with any proposed solutions that were discussed in the meeting, it all comes down to the amount of money and funding that’s available to really fix any problems.

A MoDOT representative told the Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission that lowering the speed might actually do more harm rather than good. “If you set the speed limit too low, then people think you’re stupid and they drive whatever they want… and sometimes that’s faster.”

Other possible solutions that were discussed tonight were, installing pedestrian safety crosswalks, adding better lighting, changing the speed limit, and adding stop signs to help break up the speed.

In Boone County, 24 pedestrian related crashes were reported in 2015,and 5 of those crashes happened on Providence road.

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission voted tonight to send a motion to the city to ask for better lighting at the intersection.

MoDOT said they are willing to re look at the intersection and add any recommendations to give to the City.