OPINION: Busier Billings Streets Need Some Very Important Changes

This week has been extremely awful for Billings residents, as two huge incidents caused two deaths on the same exact street on the same exact day. The deaths caused quite the stir in the community regarding the safety of Billings' streets, especially at night. What can the city do about it? As it turns out, they can do quite a lot to improve them.

Let's Shed Some Light on the Situation

Adequate road lighting is a necessity in any relatively busy city, including Billings. I'm not saying that not having light was the cause of these deaths, far from it. What I am saying is that sometimes headlights are not enough to see the sides of the road at night. That's why cities have street lamps on busy streets. So, why aren't there any all the way down Broadwater?

I also tried to look up the traffic numbers on Broadwater Avenue. To my surprise, I wasn't able to find any information from the city regarding these numbers. However, intersections on Broadwater have been noted for being more dangerous than others; Broadwater and 8th Street being one of the most dangerous in the city. Residents in the area have filed complaints to the city regarding some things they would change--and I agree with them.

We Know It Will Take Some Time

According to KTVQ, these residents have seen enough reckless incidents on their road and they've been demanding change. Some of the most important things they've discussed are re-painting the reflective paint on the road, implementing more street signs, and the aforementioned street lamps on Broadwater. I think they're on to something. But, it's going to take some time for it to happen. In my opinion, any amount of waiting is worth it if it's going to help save lives.

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We have to make sure the people in our communities are safe and sound. I think that changes like these are going to be a welcome sight on the roads of the Magic City. If you have any complaints to the city regarding the streets, visit the city website here for a complaint form.