The city of San Diego responded to community concerns of pedestrian safety.

Two weeks after the school year began for Bird Rock Elementary School, city of San Diego crews put in new crosswalk striping in front of the school at La Jolla Hermosa Avenue Aug. 27.

A BRES Instagram story announcing the work thanked BRES Principal Eric Banatao and San Diego City Council President Pro Tem Joe LaCava for their “support and quick action.”

The striping came after Banatao and parents at BRES advocated with city officials and local groups for improved pedestrian safety. 

The intersection of La Jolla Hermosa Avenue and Van Nuys Street at the south end of the school campus was particularly dangerous, Banatao said during public comment at the Aug. 20 La Jolla Traffic & Transportation Board meeting.

“The crosswalk here is very faded and not painted anymore, so that’s endangering our pedestrians.”

Additionally, vehicles driving in the area are “far too fast,” he said, due to the faded crosswalks and often incomplete striping, as crosswalks are sometimes torn up during construction projects but not replaced.

A BRES parent concurred, noting there are also issues with parents constantly parking in the crosswalks and red zones during school drop off and pickup times.

Banatao and others submitted reports to the city’s Get It Done app and have contacted LaCava’s office and other departments, along with making phone calls and sending emails to parents and community remembers imploring them to proceed carefully. 

The restriping efforts are especially important as the school is 18 months away from undergoing a whole-site modernization project, Banatao said.

As Banatao also asked T&T to consider problems with intersection hazards all around the BRES perimeter, T&T Chair Eric Gantzel said the board would be able to take up the issue at a future meeting.

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