Letter: Solving the traffic problems with Kelly Avenue at Cunha Intermediate

Apparently in the recent past a student of the Cunha Intermediate School had an encounter with a moving vehicle along Kelly Avenue between the school and the Ted Adcock Center.  So today I noticed an armed police man standing at the drive way entrance to the Adcock center.  He was stopping kids from jay walking across Kelly Avenue.  The sentiment is nice, but it is not an effective or economical solution by all means. 

Does the city plan on spending tax dollars for this traffic control for the remainder of the school year; possibly in subsequent years?  I remember when the little girl was killed on Kelly by the school district office; the police were out in force for only one to two days.  Then the signs went up on Kelly and in the Miramontes district at the intersections leading to the school that were mostly traveled.  They were not erected at the lesser travel school intersections.

For the amount of money it takes to pay for the policeman/woman, a center block crossing could be installed.  One with ‘flashing’ ground lights that would require the traffic to stop when they are flashing or in other words when the crossing is occupied.  There is such a crossing in San Mateo on one of the main avenues in its down town area.  The kids are the ones we need to protect, ushering and ticketing children is not the answer!

I really hate to see a government only on a ‘reactive’ track instead of a proactive one.  Kelly Avenue really needs this mid-block crossing so that the children can access the ‘bus’ station across the street at the Ted Adcock Center.  This center is also an area for ‘after school’ activities such as ballet.  The church is also an area where the children collect after school and even though they are located at an intersection I know the children jay walk over there too. 

Another problem with Kelly is the convenience market.  It is located on the corner and with the drive way located near the intersection it does impact traffic.  What is needed is a ‘keep clear’ notation on the west bound traffic side in order to allow for left hand turns by the east bound traffic on Kelly.  This will help keep traffic from congesting inside the intersection. 

Now that I got it out I would appreciate some good government decisions and real solutions to these two problems on Kelly Avenue.