Salt Lake City seeks public input to improve intersection where drunk driver killed 4-year-old

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SALT LAKE CITY — Holden Curtis was just 4 years old when his life was tragically cut short after he was struck by a drunk driver while riding his bike in a crosswalk last fall.

The young boy, just two months before his fifth birthday, died on impact and his mother suffered a broken femur in the crash at the intersection of 900 West and California Avenue.

Carl Wayne Johnson was sentenced in May to up to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to automobile homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol, court records show.

Now, Salt Lake City is looking to improve the intersection and make it safer for pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

“We just want to do what we can to make that intersection as safe as we can,” explained Will Becker, a city transportation planner and manager for the project. “I certainly think there are improvements we can make to the intersection to make it feel safer and more comfortable for people. And so that’s really what we’re looking at.”

The city is asking for public feedback about their experiences using the intersection through a survey that ends Aug. 30.

“That will help us inform what kind of solutions and improvements we’re going to be looking at,” Becker said.

Following initial survey responses, a draft design will be created and released to the public for additional feedback. The final design is expected to be completed by this fall and the city is hoping to begin construction sometime in 2021.

“We’re looking for feedback from everybody who uses the intersection,” Becker said.

While the intersection had an average amount of pedestrian/crosswalk crashes from 2015-2019 with a total of four, when compared to other 900 West intersections, it was the only one with a fatality.

The intersection receives a lot of through-traffic and is the gateway to a number of community destinations in the area, notably Sorenson Unity and Community Centers, Glendale Middle School and the Glendale Branch City Library.

Improving the area falls in line with the city’s transportation goals, Becker noted.

“It’s also part of the overall goal for the city to make our streets more livable, especially for the residents,” he said.

As part of those transportation goals, Salt Lake City recently converted some streets to pedestrian and bicycle traffic use with car-access allowed for residents or businesses.

The 900 West project is not yet funded and since it’s still in the early stages, an exact cost isn't available. Once the project is further along, Becker said the team will have a better idea of the funding they’ll need.

Adding paint, posts, high visibility crosswalks and concrete pedestrian refuge islands are among the proposed changes being considered.

Anyone with other ideas for improvement on the intersection can share them with transportation planners in the city's online survey, which can be found here.

Safety is definitely a priority of the project, Becker emphasized.

“I think definitely a focus for us is making sure that the intersection feels as safe and comfortable for people to use — whether that’s biking, walking or driving or using an assisted mobility device — and certainly for the people who live in that neighborhood,” he said.