City of Fresno announces new safety measures to reduce crashes near Woodward Park

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- 61-year-old Paul Moore was killed back in January while riding his bike near Woodward Park

According to police, the driver of a Dodge Ram pickup truck was heading South on Friant and turned West on Audobon when the fatal collision happened.

This was the latest in a string of deadly incidents that have plagued the area in recent years

Fresno City leaders came together Thursday at the intersection of Friant and Fort Washington to address the safety concerns around the Woodward Park and Audubon area.

The goal they say is to make the area more pedestrian-friendly while reducing collisions

"I can't go back in time in terms of why we didn't do what we didn't do, but I can tell you what we're going to do and we're going to do it now," Dyer said. "We recognize the need and we're addressing it now."

The city's plan includes new safety features near Friant and Fort Washington Road as well as Friant Road and Audubon Drive.

All intersections along Friant will have reflective plates installed on signal lights while crosswalks and turn lanes will be modified to improve cyclists and pedestrian visibility.

"Any of the roads that tie into Friant to make a right turn to go northbound on Friant will have signage that only allows people to make a right turn after the light is green," Dyer said.

The city will also soon begin to design and secure funding for a new parking lot on the West side of Friant North of Fort Washington for trail users

Vehicle limit lanes up to 10 feet back from crosswalks will be installed over the next two years -- with more safety modifications on the way pending results of a traffic study.