Today in the Bakersfield Californian there was an article about the needless death of Shaylyn Anela Pinoliar in Delano. Had proper precaution been taken, this tragic event could have been prevented.
Children must be provided a safe route to go to and from school. This is an example of why we need to review and inspect the safety of our school cross-walks on a regular basis.
Kathleen Ellis Faulkner brought up this issue with the City of Bakersfield School District for the dangerous school crossing on 24th Street at A Street. You can read the letter here. Research has been done to show that crosswalks like this only give parents and children a false sense of security on highly trafficked roads.
To learn more about what you can do to keep your kids safe visit this site: How to Teach Children Basic Street Safety when Walking.
This is the story of Cameron Bobbitt and why we should all slow down and pay extra attention while driving in a school zone.
Camerons Story
24th Street widening project must allow for ‘walkability’
By The Bakersfield Californian
At a time when talk of smart growth, downtown revitalization and walkable communities dominate the planning world, the idea of adding two more ribbons of asphalt to the 24th Street corridor in downtown Bakersfield is bound to attract a few righteous hoots and howls. The city and county now routinely require developers to incorporate smart planning strategies into development plans. Yet those strategies seem completely absent from the 24th Street project.
The recently unveiled plans call for widening 24th and 23rd streets between Oak and M streets, and improving access to the Highway 99 interchange just west of Oak Street. The most controversial section is where 24th bisects the Westchester neighborhood. Some of the concerns expressed by residents are typical NIMBY fare: depressed home values, more noise and graffiti. But the general sentiment that building a bigger road further divides a historic, tight-knit and overall charming downtown neighborhood shouldn’t be dismissed too lightly.