San Diego students can count on safer pedestrian paths as the City improves crosswalks near schools. With attention firmly planted on the pending back-to-school season, enhancements to pedestrian infrastructure have taken place outside 11 city schools spread across various neighborhoods. The changes come as a proactive measure by the City's Transportation Department to heighten safety and visibility for both walkers and drivers.
Transportation Director Bethany Bezak underscored the priority of ensuring safety for all who share the road. "Providing the latest and most effective safety features for pedestrians and all road users is one of the highest priorities of the Transportation Department," Bezak said in a statement obtained by the City of San Diego News. Bezak further mentioned that their approach to refresh these particular school crossings was "data-driven," aiming to fully maximize the available funding as students and their families gear up to return to school.
Keeping our students safe! The City of San Diego has made safety improvements to several key intersections as students head back to school this month. 🚸
— City of San Diego (@CityofSanDiego) August 2, 2024
Crosswalks have been added or refreshed outside 11 schools: https://t.co/FjY8H7PRnI 📚 ✏️ #SanDiegoAtWork #BackToSchool pic.twitter.com/N0niZbI2bv
Crosswalks now brandish fresh continental stripes, known for better visibility, and key signage has been put up to alert motorists well before approaching a pedestrian zone. The work carried out included not only the crosswalks but also revamping curbs and re-striping road markers nearby. This overhaul is linked to the City’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries.
The project targeted schools in various neighborhoods, such as Hillcrest's Florence Elementary and Scripps Ranch's Jerabek Elementary. The selection of these sites was influenced by location data from Get It Done reports, among other service requests. The City's budget under Mayor Todd Gloria significantly backs street repair and safety, pouring over $40 million into the Transportation Department to consistently move forward with these initiatives. Looking to keep up with this and other city-related construction or repair work? San Diegans are encouraged to visit the City's interactive Project Finder Map.
