Southside Traffic Light Wait

People who frequently drive on the southside of Monroe no doubt will utilize the Texas Ave. artery, especially when traveling east-to-west. I-20 is easily accessible when traveling on Texas Ave., as it also leads to many neighborhoods on the southside. Several major streets intersect with Texas Ave., such as South 2nd St., Jackson Ave., and North 18th St. Another street on the southside that is widely used and intersects with Texas Ave. is South 8th St., which has been the scene of numerous accidents. Some incidents have been fatal, causing residents to plead with city and state officials for years to do something about the dangerous intersection. The other streets mentioned have traffic lights on Texas Ave., but South 8th appears to have been neglected. Southside residents who live at/near Texas Ave. and South 8th have gone to numerous city council meetings through several administrations only to be told that Texas Ave. is a state highway, which is code, meaning their hands are tied. But the wrecks, accidents, and near-misses continue, as several months ago an individual was fatally injured while speeding on South 8th through a stop sign before crashing at the Civic Center. Long-time Monroe resident Johnnie Thomas said she is tired of seeing so many accidents happen at Texas and South 8th and hopes for the day when a traffic light is finally installed. No one knows when that may happen because studies done by the state of Louisiana have concluded that a traffic light at that location "is not warranted".

Though Thomas has been told by city officials at various times when the subject is brought up at city council meetings, she said that she's been told that the city "is still working" on the matter. Still, big gravel trucks speed along Texas Ave. mere steps from homes and churches within the neighborhood just walking distance from Texas Ave, Thomas says. The ironic part about all of this is that there was a traffic light at one time at Texas and South 8th and at Orange St., one block south of Texas Ave., according to Thomas. That was when White people were living in areas on the southside but began to move out when African-Americans started moving into southside neighborhoods. If two lights were within a block of each other back then, why, with the increased traffic flow in/around the areas, is a traffic light not warranted now?

In many instances, South 8th St. is used as much as South 2nd St. when traveling southward toward Winnsboro Rd. as both streets intersect with Texas Ave. South 8th St. is also a direct route to the Civic Center/City Hall and points northward, not just North 18th St., South 2nd, and Jackson Ave. Thomas said that she hopes to see a traffic light where she lives before the Lord calls her home, a sentiment many like her share. The wait continues.