(haipo) The struggle of residents of the Danya neighborhood in Haifa to improve safety on the neighborhood's streets and add more crosswalks has been going on for years, but this week it took a painful and worrying turn after a car accident in which a 12-year-old girl was injured while crossing Danya Street. The accident, which occurred in the early evening, resurfaced residents' claims about real dangers on the neighborhood's streets, a severe shortage of crosswalks, and reckless driving by some drivers. Now, after years of appeals, tours, and unmet demands, residents expect the municipality to finally act for change.
Severe shortage of crosswalks in the neighborhood
The Danya neighborhood is characterized by wide roads, sharp gradients, and heavy vehicle traffic. Despite this, the number of crosswalks in the neighborhood is unusually low compared to other neighborhoods in the city. On Danya Street, which is the neighborhood's main thoroughfare, there is only one crosswalk along its entire length. This means that children, teenagers, and adults are forced to cross the road in unregulated places, sometimes at real risk.
Residents say that many children cross Danya Street as a matter of routine and also on their way to the Lotem Scouts' Village, especially on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays – days when activities are held in the village. Without a regulated crosswalk, they are forced to rely on their own judgment and the goodwill of drivers, who often drive faster than the speed limit.
Residents' claims: "There is no safe way to cross the road"
Neighborhood residents emphasize that the problem is not only a lack of crosswalks, but also reckless driving by some drivers. According to them, many vehicles travel on Danya Street and nearby roads at very high speeds, sometimes ignoring the complex conditions of the neighborhood. The combination of excessive speed and the lack of basic safety infrastructure creates a dangerous reality for pedestrians.
Tours with the municipality that did not lead to change
Neighborhood activists, including Einat Gerber and Attorney Helen Dorfman, chairwoman of the association "Protecting Danya", say that about two years ago, a comprehensive tour was held with Deputy Mayor Avihu Hahn and members of the municipality's traffic department. During the tour, the activists presented the traffic problems on Danya, Antwerp and Finland streets, and emphasized the need to add pedestrian crossings, especially at the Ivory Coast - Danya intersection.
According to them, the traffic department claimed that it was not possible to install pedestrian crossings along Danya Street due to the road conditions. Personal inquiries from residents to the municipality were also met with the same response. Despite repeated warnings about the danger, no significant changes were made to the safety infrastructure.
The accident that reignited the struggle
On the day of the accident, at 17:07 PM, a report was received at the MDA hotline about a girl who had been hit by a private vehicle on Danya Street. Rescue teams provided her with first aid and evacuated her to Rambam Hospital in serious and stable condition, while she was fully conscious.
The accident caused deep shock among the neighborhood's residents, who felt that the disaster was foreseeable. They said they had repeatedly warned of the danger, but had not received a satisfactory response.
The municipality's response: "Safety solutions are being examined"
Following the accident, residents' appeals to the municipality received a faster-than-usual response. Deputy Mayor Avihu Han informed residents that some of the traffic department officials had finished their duties, and that new professionals would conduct another tour of the neighborhood to examine solutions.
In an official statement, the municipality said that it considers the safety of residents, especially children, a top priority. The municipality noted that even before the accident, it had begun examining solutions to improve safety on Danya Street, and that traffic arrangements and infrastructure solutions that can be promoted immediately are currently being examined.
Dania residents: “Not willing to wait for the next disaster”
Despite the statements, many residents in the neighborhood are skeptical. They say they have heard similar promises in the past, but in practice no significant change has been made. They emphasize that they are not willing to wait for another disaster to see results.
Neighborhood activists point out that the struggle is not just about crosswalks, but about an overall concept of safety. They are demanding that traffic on Danya Street be slowed down, that speed bumps be installed in certain places, that lighting be improved, and that enforcement against speeding be increased.
They point out that Danya Street is a main road where hundreds of vehicles travel every day, and that the lack of crosswalks along the road is unreasonable. They demand that the municipality promote immediate solutions, and not be satisfied with further examination of the situation.
Residents' demand: a comprehensive safety plan
Neighborhood residents expect the municipality to present a comprehensive safety plan that includes: adding crosswalks at key locations, placing speed bumps in places where drivers tend to speed, improving lighting on major streets, increasing speed enforcement, and examining the possibility of placing traffic lights at dangerous locations. According to them, these are basic steps that can be implemented relatively quickly and that can save lives.
Neighborhood residents ask for transparency and collaboration
Beyond the infrastructure requirements, the residents are asking the municipality to involve them in the process. They want to be part of the tours, the discussions, and the decisions. They say they know the neighborhood better than any professional, and can point out the exact risk points.
They emphasize that the struggle is not political, but a matter of basic safety. They ask the municipality to really listen to them, and not be satisfied with general statements.
We have officially contacted the municipality several times to add speed bumps on Sheerit HaPleita, and I even filmed a video of drivers accelerating downhill before ascending from both directions at crazy speeds, and the answer was that speed bumps cannot be added because it is not a dangerous road. Dude, maybe now they will reconsider…
As usual, the Haifa Municipality gives opaque answers that have nothing to do with the problems.
On Kiryat Sefer Street, near the Reali Ahuza complex, which includes 2 schools and approximately 3 kindergartens (in addition to 3 construction sites), a traffic and safety catastrophe is occurring.
Just a few minutes ago, a fire department rescue vehicle barely managed to make its way through, sounding its siren repeatedly as if to get the students' parents to move their vehicles from double parking lots and blocking the road.
Until a disaster happens – the Haifa Police and Municipality are in a coma for now…
We pay the price of noise, obstructions, shouting, and blocking passage.
And the situation will get worse if they actually implement the road construction in Dania for the planned construction of the apparently religious neighborhood.
Speed bumps have been installed on Danya Street, but they do not cause vehicle drivers to slow down, but rather to hover over the speed bumps with pleasure because they were built to make vehicle traffic very easy.
It is a great pity and regrettable that a girl was injured in an accident and the event has once again ignited the discussion on the issue of road safety. Dear residents, do not give up on the Haifa Municipality. Demand practical and immediate solutions to increase road safety.
A crosswalk is urgently needed in the arch between the parking lot on Greenbaum Street opposite the children's playground and the exercise equipment garden. The field of vision from the parking lot to the gardens is very poor. There are ramps down to the road on both sides, but there is no crosswalk between them, which is a must. Vehicles of all kinds rush through the arch out of proportion to the limited field of vision. There have been several near-accidents. Please prevent the next disaster.