On my way home from work, or from picking up the kids from school in Marion, I run into at least two intersections where visibility is compromised. You no doubt probably have several on your way home from work. These intersections are being obstructed byt the countless piles of tree debris from the August 10th derecho. And while crews are making great progress in getting much of the debris hauled away, accident rates are up due to protruding branches and brush.

KCRG reports that as of September 29th, the city of Cedar Rapids has hauled away over 230,000 tons of tree debris from along city streets. But they admit that many remaining piles are so high they make it difficult for drivers to see oncoming vehicles. The city says that the cleanup crews are working hard to clear major intersections as quickly as possible.

KCRG reports that the Cedar Rapids Police Department says that since the storm, officers have reported around 10 crashes that list an obstructed view as a cause of the accident. A majority of them say it was the tree debris. I've had to hit my brakes several times after pulling out into an intersection, thinking your clear to go, only to see a vehicle coming at you from behind the trees. Its a problem many experience every day.

If you do see a particularly bad or dangerous intersection due to tree debris, you are encouraged to email that location to engineering@cedar-rapids.org.

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