ROCK SPRINGS – A resident is drawing attention to several streets issues she’s noticed while driving around Rock Springs and wants the city to consider installing traffic cameras at the city’s busiest intersections.
Heather Weidle works as a DoorDash driver and travels throughout the city daily. Over the course of her deliveries, several road issues have caught her attention, including potholes and intersections missing stop signs. She ultimately decided to send a list of the problems she noticed to City Hall last Thursday, opting not to sign the list when she submitted it. However, Weidle said she also decided to speak with the Council about another improvement she said would improve the city.
That improvement would be the installation of traffic cameras at the city’s busiest intersections. This idea was the result of a crash Weidle was in Oct. 15, where her vehicle was struck by another vehicle at the intersection of Dewar Drive and Gateway Boulevard. Weidle said the other driver received a citation after the crash but said video of the crash was hard for investigators to obtain. The nearby Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce has a camera installed on the building pointed towards the intersection, but its view was obscured by trees. She said a second camera at 307 Auto Plaza also wasn’t helpful as the company only kept video footage for five days.
Weidle believes the installation of cameras would help the Rock Springs Police Department with investigations and would improve public safety. She also believes they could capture images of vehicle crashes when they occur. She said the camera system could be implemented in such a way that could create jobs in the city and be paid for through funds received by Wyolotto’s lottery revenue. The lottery makes regular payments to 99 municipalities and each of the 23 counties in the state.
Mayor Max Mickelson said the city is working on the pothole and sign issues Weidle presented, saying he went over the list with the city’s Director of Engineering and Operations, Paul Kauchich. He also said he’s happy she decided to come forward because he had no idea who to speak with about the street concerns.
“We are addressing them,” he told Weidle.
With Weidle’s camera idea, Mickelson said the city is working on a grant that could be used to fund a study aimed at improving traffic flows and safety.
