For years, street racing has been a major concern for people living in one Fort Worth neighborhood. So much, the problem caught NBC 5’s attention, and around this time last year, we did a report with shocking video shining a light on the problem.
Cathy Triana said there were days when she couldn’t enjoy everyday life in her Fort Worth neighborhood.
“All of the neighbors, we were so tired, and we didn’t feel safe anymore to go to the park with the kids or just go for a walk,” said Triana.
For years, Triana and her neighbors were frustrated and fed up with speeding and street racing up and down Elm Street.
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“It was scary. Whenever I went out to mow the yard, I had to put out a barrier to make sure someone didn’t run over me,” said resident David Covington.
In April of last year, NBC 5 reported on the problem, even sharing ring doorbell footage that captured a car flipping after speeding down the street.
At the time, speeding, racing and street takeovers had made headlines for months across Texas. So much that Governor Greg Abbott launched a statewide task force using various DPS divisions to address the issue.
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Today, though, Triana is pleased to see speed bumps on her street, installed by the city within the last couple of months.
“The change was immediate,” she said. “They would do donuts on the corners and the floor was marked. They can’t do that anymore because of the speed bumps.”
In a recent publication, the city of Fort Worth said it reinstated its ‘Traffic Calming Program.’ Over the past year, city leaders committed to focusing on 20 new locations for speed bump installations.
David Covington said it’s been a long time coming.
“It’s made a lot of difference,” he said. “People were flying down the street. They wouldn’t slow down, they were racing. But it’s helped out a lot.”
The city says “before and after evaluations” take place to ensure speed cushion installations are reducing speed and meeting residents’ expectations.
