Last week, KMTV spoke with UNMC students concerned about pedestrian safety at a crosswalk on 42nd and Leavenworth. Neighbors are now speaking up, requesting speed signs after crashes nearly tripled by 2024.
Deb Uhl has a front row seat to the intersection, which she can see from the window in her back room.
“Every month, there seems to be at least one accident that has happened,” Uhl said.
Her street, Marcy, is next in line, heading south down 42nd from Leavenworth. She describes it as a popular parking spot for UNMC students and a destination for drivers involved in accidents.
“I am usually aware of them because when they try to get off the intersection, our street is the first one that people are able to pull off and and get off the road so that cars can continue to drive,” according to Uhl.
Marcy Street is narrow, and cars parked on both sides of the street prevent you from driving through it.
According to the City of Omaha, there have been 31 accidents at this light over the last three years, two of which involved pedestrians. 13 accidents occurred in 2024, nearly tripling from the previous year and doubling the next intersection. For comparison, there were six crashes at Saddle Creek and Leavenworth in 2024.
Total Accidents reported at 42nd and Leavenworth 2021-2024
- 8, 2021
- 5, 2022
- 5, 2023
- 13, 2024
KMTV contacted City Traffic Engineer Jeff Riesselman about the issue, and he stated that the city has implemented Leading Pedestrian Intervals, which give pedestrians a 5-second head start before the light turns green, making pedestrians more visible to drivers.
“Having the speed limit signs marked maybe the kind that will flash and show you what what speed going that usually slows people down, especially if they’re coming down this hill or as they’re approaching the intersection,” Uhl suggested.
Because UNMC students’ cars have taken up so much space on her block, Uhl would like the city to install no parking signs near the stop sign at Marcy and 42nd Street.
