PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The chief judge of the U.S District Court in Providence said he would meet with the mayor and police chief Friday about improving traffic safety in Kennedy Plaza after a courthouse security officer was struck and killed by a Rhode Island Public Transit Authority bus.
“We have to make sure that this never happens again, and that’s what we’re going to be working on from here forward,” Judge William Smith said during a Friday news conference.
Smith said the security officers worked year-round outside the buildings to keep the courts safe, and Frank McKnight’s death had shown just how vulnerable they are.
McKnight, 69, was struck by the bus Wednesday as he walked in a crosswalk between the federal courthouse and a federal building across the street. He died Thursday night. Smith called the intersection a particular hotspot for pedestrians, but said he had concerns about safety around all buildings and intersections in Kennedy Plaza, the state’s main bus transit hub.
Smith said he spoke with RIPTA CEO Raymond Studley and Board Chairman Scott Avedisian on Thursday and expressed his concerns to them. He said everyone had been responsive.
Asked Friday whether RIPTA is taking specific steps to improve safety at Kennedy Plaza following the accident, spokeswoman Cristy Raposo said the agency is continuously looking at safety there. She said no formal meeting had been set up yet with the judge.
A major project to redesign Kennedy Plaza that would reduce the number of buses and make it more pedestrian friendly is out to bid. The transit agency says it conducted a customer survey last year in which many riders expressed concerns about the plaza, including safety issues.
Meaghan McCabe, a spokeswoman for Mayor Angel Taveras, did not address specific steps the mayor would support to improve safety at Kennedy Plaza, saying only in a statement that the city is working with RIPTA and the Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy on improvements that are expected to improve transit and make the plaza more pedestrian-friendly.
McKnight had worked as a court security officer for 13 years, and before that had been with the North Kingstown Police for 27 years.
U.S. Marshal Jamie Hainsworth, who oversees court security, wore a black band over his badge Friday and choked up as he described McKnight’s passion for serving the community. He remembered him for his smile and good nature as he greeted the lawyers, courthouse workers and members of the public who come to the courthouse every day.
“Frank’s absence is immediately felt,” Hainsworth said. “There is a void at our front doors today.”
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Associated Press writer Erika Niedowski contributed to this report.
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