On Dec. 14, 2024, Lisa Sabatka tragically lost her life in a hit-and-run while attempting to cross Highway 82 near the Aspen Country Inn. The Aspen Police Department’s lead investigator, Lauren Turner, stated in a press release that the “first harmful event” was that Sabatka was in the roadway. However, that perspective overlooks the fact that this stretch of road has no crosswalk, no barriers, and no place to safely cross.

A death in this strip of road should be enough for the City of Aspen to take action on this issue, but there have been no improvements even after a 2022 community report highlighted that Aspen Country Inn residents “CANNOT even cross the highway 82 to reach the walking paths just across the street.”

The absence of a crosswalk forces residents to risk their safety by crossing a busy highway, where cars go 45 to 55 MPH. Implementing a crosswalk is necessary and would provide a safe route for pedestrians, especially the elderly who live in the area. The Inn gives rental priority to qualified seniors over the age of 65. It is unacceptable for a residence that prioritizes the elderly to not have access to a safe cross walk.

The City of Aspen is not incapable of installing infrastructure to solve this concern. There are multiple underground pathways throughout Aspen and the valley: the Aspen roundabout, Truscott, Berlingame, AABC, the Brush Creek intersection, as well as intersections between Highway 82 and Basalt, Willits, El Jebel, and Glenwood Springs. These examples prove that constructing an underground crossing is entirely possible, yet for residents at the Inn, the city has done nothing in fixing this ongoing issue.

The solution is clear: Aspen must create a safe crossing. Pitkin County should prioritize the prevention of another tragedy, instead, the city must take preventative measures to keep citizens safe.