Complete Streets Engineer and Intern Run Over on a Columbus Sidewalk
In an extraordinarily sad irony, the engineer in charge of Columbus, Ohio's complete streets program has been gravely injured in a car crash. His 21-year-old intern was killed.
The pair were walking in downtown Columbus Friday when, according to witnesses, Terrance Trent, 61, ran a red light and smashed his pickup truck into a school bus carrying special needs students. That bus was forced onto the sidewalk, where the city's chief mobility engineer, Bill Lewis, and his intern, Ohio State student Stephanie Fibelkorn, were standing, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
Lewis was listed in serious condition Saturday. It was the last day of Fibelkorn's four-month internship with the city. She was studying to be a traffic engineer. None of the schoolchildren were injured, but the bus driver was hospitalized.
Columbus' regional planning agency adopted a complete streets policy in 2010. Lewis leads the planning and execution of elements of the policy at the city level, including bike and pedestrian safety, traffic calming, and community mobility planning.
The carnage happened shortly after state lawmakers voted to essentially outlaw red light cameras, which had been shown to reduce crash rates by 22 percent at intersections. Apparently, Ohioans are more willing to tolerate tragedy than traffic tickets.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Sharing Is Caring for Friday’s Headlines
Lyft is selling off its bikeshares, but who is going to want to get involved in such a difficult business?
New Federal Report Finds Most U.S. Communities Are Clueless About Their Transport Emissions
The Biden Administration set a goal to get America to net zero by 2050. But when it comes to U.S. transportation, most American communities have no idea where they're even starting from.
Transit Master Class: Learning from Switzerland
A delegation of advocates and Bay Area transit officials spent a week in Switzerland learning how one of the world's best transit and rail systems works. Here's a taste of what they learned.
Talking Headways Podcast: Do It for the Neighborhood — Part I
Let's talk about community engagement that actually works.
Twin Cities Advocates Split Over What’s Possible for Their Downtown Highway
Advocates in the Twin Cities agree that I-94 devastated Black communities. But they don't agree on what can — and should — be done about it.
