3 Years After Shaloon Milord’s Death, West Street Intersection Upgrade Is Complete

After months of construction and years of planning, the West Street intersection is now fully open and functioning as planned.

I was driving through the new West Street intersection in Pittsfield today and saw that the traffic signal is fully working now - it's not just flashing red, green or yellow anymore - it's operating with solid red and green lights so drivers have to stop at the new 3 way intersection now.

Remembering why this all got started -the big redesign was prompted by the tragic death of Shaloon Milord back in 2023. Shaloon was hit and killed while trying to cross West Street near Amos Park. The driver was an 84 year-old woman that was reportedly speeding. Her death hit the community hard and pushed city leaders to make the crossing safer for everyone.

The project added new traffic signals, better pedestrian crossings with countdown timers, wider sidewalks, raised crosswalks that act as speed humps, and improved lighting. Officials say the changes should make it much easier and safer for people walking, biking, or driving through that busy spot.

For people who drive through there every day, the new setup might take a little getting used to, but it's been smooth sailing so far - in fact, it's hard to remember it the old way!

This kind of effort shows how one loss can lead to real change that protects a lot of people. The city says they’re continuing to look at other high-traffic areas to see where more safety upgrades might be needed.