While the rumor mills continue (mostly due to the Mayor using it as a campaign issue) that downtown is unsafe, where have most of the vehicle related fatalities and injuries occurred in this town?
The man responsible for a fiery crash on Friday afternoon is facing several charges. Police say 23-year-old Adam Lind is charged with reckless driving, no proof of insurance, driving with a revoked and suspended license and driving an unlicensed vehicle. Lind was driving his 2001 Corvette Z06 on 57th Street Friday when he crashed into another vehicle, hit a traffic light and fence, before the car caught fire.
Most of these accidents occur on the outer parts of the city, south of 41st, including many pedestrians and bicyclists being injured or killed. Maybe instead of worrying about homeless people trying on clothes at the Man Code to warm themselves, we need to focus on more traffic safety on the Southside. But hey, there won’t be any issues with traffic at a new SE Walmart and even there is and a couple of kids get run over walking home from school, at least we created 250 jobs! 
When people say an area of town is unsafe, I thought everyone understood that meant they were concerned about thing such as stabbings, murders, assaults, rapes, home invasions etc. Never (until now) have I witnessed someone trying to associate motor vehicle accidents with this issue.
I’m not saying downtown is unsafe at all, but if we were using your metric we should be screaming from the roottops that the areas containing I-90, I-29, and I-229 are the most dangerous areas of the city because that is where all the fatalities occur.
I realize you feel the need to take every possible opportunity to grind that anti-Walmart / anti-Huether axe of yours, but this is beyond silly.
So pedestrians and bicyclists getting ran over by drunk or reckless drivers isn’t a ‘safety’ issue we should be concerned about, only people who die or are hurt by stabbings? Now you are being ‘silly’ but many of us that comment here figured out a long time ago you are a Huether Mole, because he needs someone to come on here and comment since HE doesn’t read my site himself. And you are right, I am Anti-Huether and Anti-Walmart, and anything I can do to limit the powers of either, I will, I don’t think that is any secret.
I did hear that the Mayor is using “DT is unsafe” as a campaign tactic this weekend. That makes me sad. So many people have invested their time, talent, and treasure into their small business just to provide retail or a service to so many of us and most aren’t getting rich by doing so. Do you really care about “the good people of SF,” when you continually adversely affect an area for your own gain?
Add to that anti-developer, anti-growth, anti-EC, anti-traffic, anti-street repairs, anti-pavilion, anti-code enforcement, anti- WHATEVER.
BUT – you are certainly pro-anti-whatever people, whatever they’re opposed to. At least you got somethin’ positive goin’ on.
DL: “but many of us that comment here figured out a long time ago you are a Huether Mole”
LMAO. Looks like I struck a nerve. You caught me Scott – I’m Heuther’s “mole”. I’m sure he really appreciates that fact when I talk about how idiotic it is when he cries during his speeches, that I haven’t supported many of his pet projects such as the Events Center or the indoor pool, that I have publicly HAVE supported things he doesn’t agree with such as Snowgates, that I think it is appalling that he or his wife have invested in projects that the city has to approve (and that personally I consider that an ethical issue even if it is technically legal), or that I didn’t even vote for him.
Not that you’ll believe anyone who isn’t entirely anti-Huether, but let me be clear. I have never even met the man. I have been in the same room as him several times and I have heard him speak at a few different public events, but he wouldn’t know me from Adam and I’m quite sure he wouldn’t know I even exist, so if I’m his “mole” then apparently someone forgot to tell me about it.
Are you really so blinded by your own bias you can’t even see how utterly ridiculous you sound? If you prefer this site of yours includes no dissenting opinions as it steers even further into a circlejerk comprised of six or eight of the most vocal anti-everything types the city has to offer just let me know and I won’t bother to grace your pages again.
If, on the other hand, you are sincere with your prior statements about wanting to provoke further discussion of city issues where you can hear from people on both sides with varying opinions then I would suggest you may need to reevaluate some of your recent actions.
Hook. Line. And sinker.
Craig, have you not learned by now, I am a little snarky?
Alright… then you got me. I was seconds away from calling MMM and letting him know you’re on to us, but I guess I’m save another few days.
Off topic, but when I heard about that accident, my thought was “what a waste of a Corvette.” Of course I prefer the older ones.
Soon there won’t be anything left downtown to protect:
Traditions — Vacant
Susanne’s — Vacant
My Current Obsession — Vacant
Rehfeld’s — Retiring
Raymond’s — Relocating to 41st Street
Prairie Star — Retiring
Casual Corner — Retired
Sinful Things Gourmet Desserts — Going Out of Business
Artisan House — Going Out of Business
And that’s just along a THREE BLOCK stretch of Phillips Avenue!!
I cannot believe that money makes so many people say goofy things, as it has with this Walmart. Breske says its a Walmart ballot issue, its a zoning issue to have land adjacent to residential zoned properly. maybe its all on the RMB group who got to slam and ruin Prairie Hills at 85th and Western. Just could not wait til a better deal came along, had to put up something that will look like crap in 5 years. Oh yeah just like Canyon Creek, these will be the new low income living centers, or like they called them in the 60s in New York the Projects, look at Detroit broke because of greedy goofs and idiotic planning of cities. MMM already created more debt than the whole State of SD, and now Federal money will probably come just like Walmart needs and caters to all the EBT and SNAP funds to clean up on. So the south end will be the new DT since its in Lincoln County and the frickn Corridor 100 will not allow the bad people in, just far enough to the 85th and Walmart ave, I mean Minn ave. DT will be Camalot again. Oh gees history repeats
Artisan House is relocating.
Rehfelds & Sinful things are for sale.
Traditions was acquired by Montgomery’s
Retail space is tight right now, there’s demand for all those spaces, so don’t go dancing on downtown’s grave just yet.
Traffic deaths occur at a rate about equal to violent deaths in the United States. One issue causes a huge political uproar, the other is an accepted cost of our “way of life”.
Lind shoulda waited for night when those traffic lights start flashing yellow = free pass for racing, no cops around out there.
Tom H. – To the rabid 2nd amendment crowd, violent deaths are a marketing opportunity.
Joan,
I am just glad it wasn’t a ’63 split window StingRay…. whew….
Epistemic closure, an extreme form of confirmation bias.
cant wait to vote against breske and walmart,
When, as mayor, you announce that you are beefing up the police presence in Downtown you are sending a message that Downtown is not safe. When you don’t have the Street Department clear the snow out, curb to curb, in the Downtown, you send the message that Downtown is not important. Actions speak louder than words.
M2CW38
you are right about MMM. MMM has been sweeping funds since the frickn EC began. No one has had decent snow removal with him around. He only wants to put Sanford on a project, fill his pockets and the hell with the taxpayer in this town. Why the hell do we have more debt than the entire state, go figure on MMM had something to do with it.