After an employee was struck by a car, the Odessa Museum is calling for speed limits in the city center

The staff of the Odesa Art Museum has called on the authorities to make changes to traffic management on Sofiivska Street, at the intersection with Roitburd Lane. This follows yet another traffic accident at a crosswalk, in which a museum employee was injured.

This was reported by the museum’s administration.

According to museum staff, the area near the museum is dangerous for pedestrians due to heavy traffic and high vehicle speeds.

“In the past year alone, we have witnessed several accidents involving pedestrians using the crosswalk near the museum,” museum officials said.

The museum notes that the situation becomes particularly difficult in winter. Due to the downhill slope on this section of the road, slippery pavement, and the lack of street lighting, drivers often fail to brake in time or notice pedestrians too late.

Back in January, the museum administration twice appealed to the Odessa City Administration requesting changes to traffic management.

Specifically, the museum requested the installation of speed-reduction measures. However, the request was denied because the proposed changes were deemed inappropriate. The museum has made copies of the relevant request and response public.

<picture></picture>Photo: Odesa National Art Museum

According to museum representatives, another incident occurred on July 18—a museum employee was injured while crossing Sofiivska Street during the day.

“A driver struck her while traveling at high speed and failing to slow down before the crosswalk,” the museum reported.

<picture></picture>Photo: Odessa National Art Museum

The museum appealed to the Odesa City Military Administration, the “SMEP OMR” Municipal Enterprise, and the Department of Transportation, Communications, and Traffic Management—specifically to the department’s acting director, Serhiy Shcherban, who had signed the previous denial.

The administration emphasizes that installing speed bumps will help make this crosswalk safer for visitors, employees, and all pedestrians.

They also noted that, amid a full-scale war, city residents are already under daily threat of Russian attacks, so exposing people to additional danger due to poor traffic management is unacceptable.

Ірина Глухова