A Nov. 2 crash that killed an elderly pedestrian trying to cross Highway A1A – devastating a Satellite Beach religious community – might have been prevented.
If the lighting was better, or if there had been a sidewalk on the west side of the street near Chabad of the Space and Treasure Coasts, 82-year-old Dr. Bernie Epstein might still be alive.
What’s most upsetting about the loss was that Epstein was earnestly participating in part of an ancient and treasured Jewish religious tradition of walking to and from Saturday services to honor the Sabbath. To prevent the next tragedy, Epstein’s congregation and city officials are asking for a streetlight at Roosevelt Avenue, plus a sidewalk expansion as part of a slate of safety improvements from the Florida Department of Transportation. Rabbi Zvi Konikov of the Chabad Center expressed the need for a sense of urgency in the matter, especially the critical need for the street light.
Satellite Beach City Manager Courtney Barker was one of many who have emailed the Florida Department of Transportation seeking the safety improvements including: installing a traffic light and crosswalk at the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and SR A1A near the Chabad Center; filling in the sidewalk gaps on the west side of SR A1A; and reducing the speed limit on SR A1A from the current 45 mph to 35 mph.
“The Center is attended by members who cannot use automobiles on their Sabbath, which is Saturday. As such, all of the members can be observed walking in and around this area on Saturday, and even most other days of the week. The man who lost his life on November 2nd was walking to his daughter’s home on a Sabbath evening,’’ Barker explained to the DOT
According to the police report, the driver was not impaired and did not face changes in the accident.
“The city feels that it is prudent to make the changes listed above to make the use of SR A1A by pedestrians safer in general. Without sidewalks, people use the shoulder of the road; without a crosswalk, people cross unsafely; and without a lower speed, vehicles cannot see a pedestrian on the side of the road, especially at night,” Barker said.
In response, the DOT official said the agency recently completed a related project along the roadway including new pavement and striping, median improvements and midblock crossings “in the general area of” the Jewish community center. The next step is to install flashing beacons along the S.R. A1A corridor at those midblock crossings located at Grant Avenue and Park Avenue.
Concerning the specific need for the Roosevelt streetlight, DOT will conduct a signal warrant analysis with the goal of having a draft document ready by year’s end or early 2019, said DOT spokesman Steve Olson.
Konikov was not willing to take the advice to be patient with DOT because needed government improvements are often slow to come about and can take years. “We have a synagogue where people walk on the Sabbath and there is no possible way for people to walk across the street. There needs to be sidewalks, there needs to be lights and there absolutely needs to be a (street)light at the Roosevelt junction anyway,’’ he said.
“Where there is a will there is a way. There should not be any excuse that it takes a long time and therefore we’re going to wait years for it to happen. I don’t buy into that. Where there are many people who are killed in our small, tiny town it’s absolutely unacceptable,” Konikov said.
“I have no doubt, when authorities are pressured, things happen much quicker. For the lives to (already) have been lost, I think that’s enough pressure,’’ he said.
Konikov added he was very encouraged by the response by the City Council when he and other brought the concerns to a regular council meeting.
“I am sure, working with them, we will accomplish our goal,” he said.