A’S MAPS TO MAKE THE BLACKSTONE AREA SAFER FOR THOSE WALKING ROUND THANKS FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. I’M JULIE CORNELL. I’M ROB MCCARTNEY THE AREA ALONG FARNAM BETWEEN 36TH AND 40TH IS TRAVELERS BUFFER NIGHTLIFE THE NUMBER OF RESTAURANTS BARS, BUT AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HIT BY VEHICLES. THEER SINCE THE LAST JUNE ONE OF THOSE CRASHES KILLED A WOMANOW N THE CITY HAS A PLAN TO MAKE THINGS SAFER. IT INCLUDES MAKING THIS CENTER WE STBOUND LATE ALONG FARNAM A TURN LANE AND WIDENING THE PARKGIN LANES TO MAKE A BIGGER BUFFER OF HER PEDESTRIANS KETV NEWSWATCH SEVENS. MICHELLE BANDERAS H MORE ON THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND HOW VICTIMS OF THESE CRASHES FEEL ABOUT THE CHANGES MICHELLE. WELL, JULIE, ROB 20 YEAR OLD CAITLIN VAN ESSEN DIED NEAR 40TH AND FARM IN LAST DECEMBER AND R PARENTS WERE ON HAND TODAY FOR THE MAYORS ANNOUNCEMTEN OF THIS NEW PEDESTRIAN SAFETY PILOT PROGRAM. SOAL HERE TODAY WAS LINDSAY KADLEVICK. SHE SURVIVED HER SEVERE INJURIES WHEN SHE WAS HITY B A CAR IN JUNE OF 2021 NOW THEY TELL ME EVEN THOUGH IT’S LATE FOR TIRHE BETTER THEY HOPE THAT THIS IS A STARTND A THAT IT WILL HOPEFULLY SAVE SOME LIVES. IT’S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO BE HERE SO THAT PEOPLE KNOWND A SAY CAITLIN’S NAME STILL. SHE’S NOT JUST SOMEONE THAT WAS KILLED IN BLACKSTONE. SHE WAS OUR DAUGHTER. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE PARENTS OF 20 YEARLD O CAITLIN VANESSEN HAVE BEEN TO THE BLACKSTONE DISTRICT SINCE THEIR DAUGHTER WAS HIDDEN KILDLE BY A DRUNK DRUNK DRIVER LAST DECEMBER THEY ARE TAKIN THIS SERIOUSLY MAYOR, JUNE STATHART AND COUNCILMAN DANNY BAGLEY WHO WAS INSTRUMEALNT IN FIGHTING FOR THE TRAFFIC SAFETY CHANGES COMFORTED SSJE AND TODD VANESSEN. THESE CHANGES ARE 100% ABOUT IMPROVING PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH IS OUR NUMBER ONE RESPONSIBILITY THE CITY WLIL TURN ONE OF THE WESTBOUND FARNAM LANES INTO A CENTER LINE NARROW THE LANES AND WIDEN PARKING LESAN ALL INHE T FOUR BLOCK AREA FROM 36TH TO 40TH STREET CRUZ WILL INSTALL PEDESTRIAN ISLANDS IN THAT NEW CENTER LE,AN ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO MAKE THE USERS MORE AWARNDE A IT’S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT FOR THEM AND IT’S GOING TO BE SAFER FOR THEM. THE BLACKSTONE BUSINESS IMPROVENEMT DISTRICT HAS BEEN WORKING ON AN OVERALL 4.5 MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT AND HAS ADDED SEVERAL SAFETY FEATUSRE TO THE AREA’S ROADS, INCLUDING NEW WARNING SIGNS, STOP LIGHTS AND LIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS. I REALLY APPRECIATE BECAUSE IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE MY WHAT HAPPENED TO ME WASN’T FORGOTTEN AND WHAT HAPPENED TO CAITLIN. IS DRIVING THE CHANGE FORHI TS LINDSEY CAVLOVIC IS JUST ABOUT HEALED AFTER THE SEVERE INJURIES. SHE SUFFERED LAST JUNE AFTER BEING HIT BY A CAR. SHE’S BEEN PART OF THE BLACKSTONE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT PLANS FOR A PERMANENT SOLUTION. I’M EXCITED TO SEE IT IMPLEMENTED IN BLACKSTONE. I THINK IT WILL. I THINK IT’S A GOOD START. I WISH IT WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN THE DEATH OF OUR DAUGHTER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. I HOPE THAT THEY’LL LEARN. OM THIFR WELL AGAIN, THIS IS A PILOTROGRAM P AND WILL BE IN PLACE UNTIL THOSE PERMANENT CHANGES DO TAKE EFFECT. IT SHODUL BE IN PLACE NEXT MONTH THE CITY SAYS REPORTING LIVE IN BLACKSTONE MICHELLE BANJO OR KATV NEWSWATCH 7. I’M MICHELLE. THANKS. NOWHE T CITY SAYS IT’S WORKING ON OTHER IMPROVEMENTS TO THE DISTRICT LE 385 STALL PARKING GARAGE NEAR THE COTTONWOOD HOTEL THAT WOULD OPEN IN 2024T A A COST OF NEARLY 19 MILLION DOLLARS. ALSO CONSIDERED CHANGES TO THE CITY CODE TO ALLOW FOR PARKLET INSTALLATIONS. THOSE ARE TEMPORARY