Clarksville car/pedestrian crash - lessons to be learned

The latest car/pedestrian crash in Clarksville, as reported here, and here, highlight some of the issues surrounding Fort Campbell Boulevard. Fort Campbell Boulevard is a massive 7-lane arterial that is built up on both sides. The second article points to the lack of crosswalks and six pedestrian fatalities over the past two years on that road. Even at signalized intersections, there was only 14 s to cross the seven lanes before the light changed back to red. The reporters noted that they had to run across in order to make it through on time.

A quick calculation shows that for a typical walking speed of 3 mi/hr, 14 s is enough to cross only 5 lanes, for typical lane widths of 11-12 ft. It could be that the small amount of time allocated to the pedestrian phase of the light cycle is another example of car-centric design; after all, every additional second for pedestrians means one less second for cars. Improvements in crossings and crosswalks are desired there of course. Does the road actually need all seven lanes with its hazards? What is its daily traffic? Should the traffic be calmed?