About six months ago, my friend Gerry Goldberg and I co-founded the Andie鈥檚 Light campaign, petitioning the city councils of Cherry Hills Village and Greenwood Village for a traffic light at Belleview Avenue and Franklin Street.
Andie Goldberg, Gerry鈥檚 wife, died at that intersection two years ago, and he wanted to do something to prevent another similar tragedy.
Just a few days ago, the debate was settled — the intersection is unsafe. Gerry, my partner in this effort, lost his own life at that very intersection — East Belleview Avenue and South Franklin Street.
I am now writing this alone, but I carry the support of 492 citizens who signed our petition and the memory of a man who died waiting for the safety measures he championed.
In politics, it is easy to fall into a “win-lose” mindset — two cities looking out for their own perceived best interests, and two groups of neighbors on opposite sides of a line. But leadership is not about accepting conflict; it is about finding a path forward when the status quo has become untenable.
The opposition to “Andie鈥檚 Light” generally rests on two pillars: a fear for pedestrian safety on side streets and a desire to preserve the “charm and tranquility” of our neighborhoods. Opponents worry that a light will increase cut-through traffic on Cherryville Road in Greenwood Village and Franklin Street in Cherry Hills Village — streets where children bike and neighbors walk, yet where no sidewalks exist. This is a valid concern, which is why the solution must be comprehensive, not narrow-minded.
As a former councilmember, I understand the necessity of balancing these concerns and a good councilmember should look at things from different points of view before deciding. If I were a councilmember today, the question I would ask is: Are those who oppose a light also opposed to installing sidewalks?
We must be honest about our priorities. The “charm” of a street should never take precedence over the lives of the people moving upon it. If the primary fear of a traffic light is shifting risk to pedestrians, then the solution is clear: build the infrastructure to protect pedestrians. Opposing both a light and sidewalks isn’t a safety position; it is an aesthetic one. And aesthetics are not worth a human life.
The “us vs. them” dichotomy is a false choice. We are one community sharing the same pavement.
Our campaign requests four specific actions.
First, both councils should direct their staff to coordinate with each other and produce a joint staff report giving both city councils a common set of facts on the pros and cons of different options to make this intersection safer. Two of those options should be a traffic light and sidewalks. We need a holistic engineering solution that treats this as a safety challenge rather than a political battle.
Second, each city council should review the staff report at a public study session where councilmembers can discuss the issue informally amongst themselves and ask questions of their staff that may help them make a decision.
Third, if either council feels a need for more public input, a public hearing could be scheduled after the study session.
Fourth, soon after the study session, each city council should consider a capital project to fund a traffic light at Belleview and Franklin. That capital project should ultimately lead to a vote to either approve or reject a traffic light. We want each city council to take a public YES or NO vote.
The government抖阴ap primary duty is to keep citizens safe. Let the data and this tragedy lead the way. Let抖阴ap build a safer community together.
Jerry Presley is a former Greenwood Village city councilmember. For more information on the campaign, please visit www.AndiesLight.com.
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