Are Cerritos Sidewalks Safe for School Kids?

With gas prices through the roof these day, many parents are opting to walk their children to and from school in order to save money. Though this may be the healthier and cheaper option, some Cerritos parents have concerns about the safety of walking to school. 

Every school day, Carissa Cordero and her 3-year-old daughter, Abigail, walk to  to pick up Cordero's 5-year-old daughter, Isabella. Cordero, a life-long Cerritos resident, is concerned that some of the sidewalks along her trail are simply not built to safely handle school traffic, calling the walk to school "treacherous" and "not pedestrian friendly."

Automobile traffic is always a concern while walking to and from school. This mother of two reported that she often sees cars running past the crossing guard's stop signs. Gaps in communication have also been an issue between the city and the crossing guards.

Codero said that several weeks ago, the crossing guards were not informed about a minimum day schedule. And, as a result, some of the streets were left temporarily unattended so children were crossing the streets without their supervision. 

Dominic Bianco has been a crossing guard for the  for more than 10 years and currently assists the students of Cerritos Elementary. Though Bianco is confident that the city takes good care of pedestrian safety, he says that now, more than ever, people need to be more careful about walking to and from school. 

"[People] are just more distracted now," Bianco said. "Cell phones, iPods, and all the new technology, people are just not paying attention." 

Aside from the cars, pedestrians near Cerritos Elementary also have to deal with narrow sidewalks. The ivy near the Corderos' home occupies approximately one foot of sidewalk in some places, leaving little room for pedestrians. For this strip of sidewalk, the Corderos are forced to walk in a single-file line, which can be unnerving for a parent of two young children.

"One time we were walking home and there was a group of kids on the sidewalk skateboarding towards us," Cordero said. "I pushed my kids into the ivy [in order to avoid collision with the skateboarders] ... but one of the skateboarders fell into the street. That incident really scared me."

But Carissa Cordero is not the only parent that has concerns about pedestrian safety. Monica Nomoto, another parent of a Cerritos Elementary student, also shared her thoughts.

"We park across the street [from the school] because it is too dangerous to park near the school," Nomoto said. "We've seen cars get hit!"

In May, the city issued a news release addressing pedestrian safety, perhaps hinting that Cerritos officials are also becoming more aware of the problem to establish safer streets.

The Cerritos City Council recently amended the Cerritos Municipal Code to require a pedestrian circulation plan for each new major construction project. Such plans would need to outline devices and measures that would provide safe, accessible, and functional pathways for pedestrians. 

On the same day this amendment to the Cerritos Municipal Code was announced, the city also published the following list of pedestrian safety tips in the monthly newsletter to residents:

Pedestrian Safety Tips from the Cerritos Sheriff’s Station/Community Safety Center:

• Always cross a street at a corner, using traffic signals and crosswalks. 
• Stand clear of buses, hedges, parked cars or other obstacles before crossing so drivers can see you.
• Don’t rely solely on pedestrian signals; try to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them. Do not assume that because you can see the driver, the driver can see you.
• Look across all lanes you must cross and visually clear each lane before proceeding. Just because one motorist stops, do not presume drivers in other lanes can see you and will stop for you.
• Look left, right and left again when crossing, and keep looking as you cross. Walk, do not run, across the street.
• Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. 
• Be a safe pedestrian around cars. Watch for cars that are turning or backing up.
• Wear clothing and accessories incorporating reflective materials.
• Cross in a well-lit area at night.
• Never walk on freeways or in restricted zones. 
• Carry a flashlight when walking at night.
• Be alert to engine noise or backup lights on cars when in parking lots and near on-street parking spaces.
• Don’t wear headphones or talk on a cell phone while crossing.

Safety tips for children

• Parents and children should hold hands in parking lots.
• Never allow children under age 10 to cross streets alone. Adult supervision is essential until you are sure a child has good traffic skills and judgment.
• Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings.
• Make sure children know to cross 10 feet in front of a school bus, never behind, and to wait for adults on the same side of the street as the school bus loading or unloading zone.
• Teach your child never to run out into a street for a ball, a pet or any other reason.
• Make sure your child plays in safe places away from motor vehicles, such as yards, parks and playgrounds and never in the street. Fence off play areas from driveways and streets.

Safety tips for drivers

• Stop for pedestrians who are in a crosswalk, even if it is not marked. When you stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk, stop well back so that drivers behind you or in the other lanes can also see the pedestrian in time to stop.
• When you are turning, you often have to wait for a break in traffic. Beware that while you are watching for that break, pedestrians may have moved into your intended path.
• Check frequently for pedestrians when backing out of a driveway or a parking space.
• Be especially attentive around schools and in neighborhoods.