Eight pedestrians were killed by cars this year in Ada County and community leaders want that number to go to zero.
Representatives from the City of Boise, Ada County Highway District and Boise Police Department held a press conference Thursday to deal with the “alarming increase of fatal auto-pedestrian accidents in the Treasure Valley."
"This has been one of the deadliest years on our roads in Ada Countys history, and it has to stop," said Alexis Pickering, Ada County Highway District Commissioner.
She says the countys population has increased over the past decades and it’s been hard to adapt.
Last year, there were no pedestrian deaths until October. This year there have been eight so far, one of the latest happened this month, when a young skateboarder was hit by a truck while crossing the street.
ACHD says it is, among other things, installing pedestrian traffic lights. Pickering says they have installed 32 so far and 400 more are in the works.
Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar says the issue is drivers not taking personal responsibility.
“If you're willing to drive safely to avoid a traffic citation, shouldn't you be willing to drive safely to save somebody's life?" he says.
ACHD is taking suggestions on its website and app on how to improve intersections.
