Omaha neighborhood sees increased speeding, concerning neighbors

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Morton Meadows resident Kelsea Tooley often takes her kids outside to play on their front lawn.

She told 6 News she constantly has seen cars that won’t stop for people in the crosswalk by her house.

“Especially in the evenings you hear drag racing around the street,” Tooley said.

6 News spoke to other parents in the neighborhood who say they’re also worried for their kids’ safety. There are no speed bumps on Woolworth or South 48th Street, even with an elementary school and high school at the intersection.

“It’s an extra level of concern because people are on their phones or they’re not paying attention,” Tooley said.

Tooley and other residents hope speed bumps can be added to the area, but a few steps need to be taken before the city would make installations.

First, a property owner of the neighborhood needs to contact the city to come out and investigate whether speeding occurs in the neighborhood.

“More than 1,000 vehicles need to travel the road per day and the measured 85th percentile,” said city traffic engineer Jess Riesselman. ”Speed needs to be five or more than the posted speed limit.”

Then, the city sends a petition that needs to be signed by two-thirds of the neighborhood residents. All of that can take a while, but once complete, installation can begin.

Riesselman said they’ve already added 11 speed bumps in city neighborhoods this year, and they plan to add more.

“We do get a lot of requests,” Riesselman said. “We send 100 requests every year.”

Tooley hopes one of those requests will come from her neighborhood.

If you’d like to make a request for a speed bump in your neighborhood you can make one here.

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