Editor, Manteca Bulletin,

Remember the three kids killed in close succession in Oakdale on the four-lane “F” Street at no light-equipped crosswalks about 10 years ago? The kids assumed one stopped vehicle meant the other lane on their side (or the other side) would be stopped too, so they did not look around the first vehicle to check on a second vehicle coming through.  This applies to both sets of lanes —

You just cannot mix unsupervised children and four-lane crosswalks that have no lights or other means to stop vehicles.

Two-lane roads with crosswalks are safer than four-lane roads with crosswalks. If there are no lights, stop sign, or supervision, two- and four-lane roads are safer without any crosswalks because pedestrians, at least older ones, don’t expect cars to stop (statistics and studies prove it).

Children are the focus.  I would hate to be a City Manager or Council Member if they don’t get serious about making regular children’s routes safer. Any four-lane road near a park, school, or other facility that attracts children has to have a way to stop traffic at major crosswalks.



Dan Buckman
Manteca
July 3, 2013