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Last week, we had a close call near the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

According to people on the scene, a person who was riding a motorized wheelchair was attempting to cross the street when it collided with a car that was apparently turning on to Broad Street from Water Avenue.

Police, firefighters and EMS personnel were quick to get on the scene. It doesn’t appear like there were any life-threatening injuries that occurred.

We are thankful for that. However, we must be vigilant to take pedestrian safety seriously, especially in downtown Selma.

One thing that is good is that we have good access to pedestrian crosswalks and pedestrian signals at our traffic light., One improvement we might suggest is that the intersections, especially around the Edmund Pettus Bridge should always assume that pedestrians are there.

Pedestrians will make their pilgrimage across the Edmund Pettus Bridge at all hours of the day. They are there in the early morning hours and in the late evening hours. Broad Street is one of the busiest roads no matter the hour during the day. So, you shouldn’t have to press a button to get the pedestrian crossing signal to activate.

Also, the speed in downtown needs to be addressed. In the downtown areas, the speed limit is typically 30 mph or less. Drivers need to slow down especially around the heavily walked areas of Broad Street.

Also, truck traffic needs to stop using the Edmund Pettus Bridge and use the bypass to preserve the longevity of the bridge and for safety reasons. Many of the intersections were not designed for 18-wheelers to turn in downtown. It can create a dangerous situation if a truck is attempting to turn and head into the opposite lane of traffic where a vehicle may be located.

We hope that everyone will do their part to create a safe environment for pedestrians in this historic area of the city.