Accident-prone intersections

The Permian Basin's oil boom is bringing more motorists to Odessa's streets, but traffic accidents are actually on the decline, city statistics indicate.

The number of accidents between January and July at several of the city's most accident-prone intersections are on track to drop between 30 and 50 percent from 2007.

"I know we've been focusing a lot of attention on signal timing and signal progression. Maybe that's playing a factor in it," city traffic coordinator Hal Feldman said.

He explained that the city was adjusting the timers on each signal so that East 42nd Street, which consistently has the most accidents, to "keep the corridor moving."

At Grandview Avenue and 42nd Street, the intersection with the greatest number of accidents in 2007, 19 crashes took place from January to July 31, the latest day where statistics were available from the Traffic Engineering Division. In all of 2007, 61 fender-benders and wrecks happened there.

Phillip Bowen, who lives a few blocks north of the intersection, said he hadn't noticed any difference, even though he said he never had any problems driving there. He said he was used to seeing red-light runners and ambulances zipping by as he carried groceries to his car from the H-E-B Friday evening.

"They speed all down this street," he said.

The speeding was something the police were particularly worried about. Odessa Police Cpl. Sherrie Carruth said the city frequently set up "safe zones" on 42nd Street, especially west of Loop 338 where the speed limit makes a sudden drop.

Feldman said the number of accidents reported in 2007 were about "average." During each year, the number of traffic accidents that come in only fluctuate slightly month-by-month.

As far as engineering is concerned, he believed there isn't a lot else that could be done to further reduce the accident rates down at 42nd and Grandview and the other high-accident intersections.

That's something Jennifer Evans probably wouldn't want to hear as she makes her shopping errands at the Wal-Mart at 42nd Street and John Ben Sheppard Parkway, the third biggest intersection for car crashes in the city. She said she drives all the way to the Sam's Club to leave the parking lot, since the traffic scares her going out near the other ways that bring her near the intersection.

She laughed when told the rate of accidents there dropped.

"I just know people don't stop on JBS," she said.

Top Five Accident Intersections

2006

1. Grandview and 42nd                59

2. JBS Parkway and 42nd                40

3 (tie). Tanglewood and 42nd       27

Andrews Highway and 42nd       27

5 (tie). West County Road West and University                25

Andrews Highway and University                25

Grandview and University                25

2007

1. Grandview and 42nd                61

2. JBS Parkway and 42nd                50

3. Tanglewood Lane and 42nd                39

4. Andrews Highway and 42nd       36

5 (tie). Englewood Lane and 42nd                29

JBS Parkway and University                29

2008 (Through July 31)

1. Grandview and 42nd                19

2. Andrews Highway and 42nd       12

3 (tie). JBS Parkway and 42nd       11

Tanglewood and 42nd                11

5. Englewood Lane and 42nd                10

Source: City of Odessa Public Works Department, Traffic Engineering Division