Disabled Little Rock man calls for traffic control on residential street due to speeding concerns

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — A disabled Little Rock man says speeding down his residential street creates a life-or-death situation every time he leaves his home.

Alphonso Alexander parks his van in front of his house on West 13th Street, but getting in and out of his vehicle has become challenging due to speeding drivers.

A car came so close to me that it felt like I could have easily touched it," said Alexander. “Dealing with this scooter, I have to go out onto the road in order to get on the lift which is at the back of my vehicle and the traffic goes almost highway speed.”

His disability makes the process of loading his mobility scooter onto his van a difficult task, coupled with the fear of speeding drivers. For added protection, Alexander mounted flashing lights on his scooter so drivers at night could see him but he fears it's not enough to keep him safe.

“When I go out there, my wife stands out there and she’ll say 'oh, there is a car coming' and then I try to get around there and we try to get it done as quickly as possible and pray that nobody comes," said Alexander.

Alexander called Seven On Your Side for help showing our cameras why leaving his home is so difficult.

When I finally make it into this car, I heave that sigh of relief because I mean like every time and sometimes they’ll come 2, 3, 4 of them real fast," said Alexander.

His neighbor Alicia Perry agrees the street is not safe.

Excessive speeding to the point that they hit one of my cars and crashed into it," said Perry. “I’ve been wanting to address this so I’m glad you’re here because it’s very scary.”

Seven On Your Side contacted the city of Little Rock Public Works Administration about Alexander's concerns.

The office said they are now conducting a traffic study on West 13th Street to determine the number of vehicles and the speed at which they travel. The data should be available within the next few weeks.

Alexander and Perry suggest speed bumps or stop signs to make the street safer.

It’s just really dangerous," Alexander said. "It’s actually worse than dangerous for me. It’s a life and death situation because I can’t get out of the way."

Perry suggested having a stop sign on every block to keep excessive speeds down.

The city says they will share the results of the traffic study with 7OYS once it is complete. We will update the story with that information once it becomes available. To request a traffic study in your neighborhood, click here.