Buckner at Mercer now has a dedicated left-turn lane. (Photo courtesy of Mark Clayton)
Anyone who drives Buckner Boulevard on the regular knows how terrifying certain stretches can feel as traffic races through. It’s been the site of three fatal accidents since December, most recently on Aug. 2, which left four others, including a child, with injuries.
That fatality, at the intersection of Buckner and Mercer, inspired action on the city’s part, City Councilman Mark Clayton says. The city recently installed a dedicated turn signal meant to more safely control passage across the busy intersection.
According to Clayton’s Facebook, “the lights were activated with the following note from city staff: ‘Due to the way the signal progression works (per existing timing plans), the left-turn phases will come up every other cycle, in other words — you might have to sit through an entire cycle to get the left-turn arrow to come up. If you get calls about the arrows not coming up, this is the reason.’”
The decision to install the light was supported by a recent Dallas Police campaign that nabbed 334 speeders and other traffic violations in the few days following the accident.
“Keep in mind that enforcement was for a few hours each day over a five-day period immediately after the accident,” Clayton posted.
In June, a motorcyclist was killed at the intersection of Buckner and Northwest Highway. Clayton points out that intersection is under the Texas Department of Transportation, giving him limited influence over safety improvements there.
In December, a teenager lost control of his speeding vehicle near the intersection of Buckner and Alta Mira, killing the driver of a vehicle in oncoming traffic.
