CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — On the night of Saturday, March 1, 73-year-old Gilberto Villarreal was killed after he was struck by a car while crossing the 5700 block of Weber Road on foot.
Soon after details of his death was posted to social media, many viewers, including Nikki Coleman and Eric Almaraz, said they often see people not using a crosswalk when crossing Weber Road. Others posted that the area is not well-lit.
Others, like Amber Martinez and Vanessa Figueroa, expressed the need for safety improvements similar to those made in front of the Walmart Supercenter on Staples Street near Gollihar Road.
The City of Corpus Christi has installed raised crosswalks in areas with heavy pedestrian traffic at South Staples Street in front of the Walmart Supercenter, at South Staples Street near Ray High School, and at McArdle Road near Haas Middle School.
KRIS 6 News reached out to the City of Corpus Christi to find out what Corpus Christi residents can do if you have concerns about busy city streets with high pedestrian and street traffic.
Richard Vargas with the City of Corpus Christi's Public Works Department said residents can start the process by going to the city's website and go to the Public Works Department's page.
Once you're there, click on the "Request Traffic Control Devices, and Street Lights" box.
That will take you to a new page where you can click on the orange box labeled "Traffic Control Device Request Form". To save time, click on this link hereand fill out the form.
The city will then evaluate and study the area you've submitted. City traffic engineers will then determine whether speed bumps, crosswalks, raised medians, traffic lights or a stop sign is needed.
So what should you do if you'd like a raised crosswalk on a state-maintained roadway like Weber Road?
You would have to contact the Texas Department of Transportation, also known as TxDOT by calling them during business hours at 361-808-2660 or you can reach them anytime by going to their website at TxDOT.gov.
TxDOT's Public Information Officer Rickey Dailey said TxDOT works regularly with various agencies including DPS, Corpus Christi Police, and the City of Corpus Christi on issues inside the city.
"TxDOT is always open to safety suggestions from concerned citizens," Dailey said.
