Selma to work with Auburn on traffic safety in wake of pedestrian death on Highway 80

A week after Charlie Lacy was struck and killed while walking along Highway 80, Selma Mayor James Perkins Jr. announced a new citywide effort to make traveling around Selma safer for pedestrians. 

Selma will partner with Auburn University to produce a Comprehensive Transportation Safety Action Plan that officials said will serve as a roadmap for improving transportation safety, especially for pedestrians, Perkins said.

The announcement came at a press conference held in the parking lot of the Selma Church of God, which is only a few yards from the spot where Lacy was struck and killed. Perkins said that location was chosen because a majority of accidents in Selma involving pedestrians happen on Highway 80.

Since 2018, 13 pedestrians have been struck by vehicles in Selma while walking on Highway 80. In three of those cases, the pedestrian was killed, according to Perkins. He added that two years ago it was discovered that the rate of accidents involving pedestrians in Selma was 3½ times the state average, Perkins said. 

Improvements to Selma’s sidewalks and crosswalks helped reduce the rate of pedestrian accidents down to 2.9 times the state average, but Perkins said Lacy’s death “underscores the need for more to be done.” 

Toward that end, Perkins announced that Selma will be partnering with Auburn University’s Transportation Research Institute to produce a comprehensive transportation safety plan. With assistance from the Alabama Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration’s Alabama Division, Selma will be working directly with AU's Safety Technical Assistance for Counties and Cities program.  

The plan will focus on the Highway 80 corridor, where one in four of the accidents in Selma happen. Rod Turochy, Auburn University Transportation Research Institute’s associate director for outreach, said the plan will include infrastructure improvements as well as educating citizens about being safe while traveling.  

“It’s a shared responsibility to improve transportation safety, so we’ll take a very holistic approach,” Turochy said.  

The 50 Fund, a nonprofit organization of professionals who volunteer to create safer communities, will also help develop the plan. The 50 Fund has assisted in similar projects across Alabama. Researchers are just starting to gather data, which should take several months, Perkins said. Formulating the plan will follow.

"As Selma works toward understanding its transportation safety data and developing solutions, community engagement efforts will include not only sharing information with Selma residents but also asking for input on possible safety improvements,” according to a news release from the city issues after the press conference. Improvements will depend on funding, Perkins said.