I initiated the crosswalk petition for the Woodward/Buena Vista intersection well over a year ago. It is disheartening that other” priorities” have taken precedence other than a safety issue that was addressed and approved.  My son is now 7 years old, in third grade and now does not have my daughter to escort him across that busy street as she attends high school. As a commuting parent, it is a huge concern of mine and now I see other children using that same crossing area in their travels to school since the subdivision is now built out. It is still just as scary as an adult crossing that street to exercise at the park, when cars are driving literally 50 to 70 miles an hour down Woodward.

I don’t think the extension of Atherton Street is going to slow cars down from driving at excessive speeds down Woodward Avenue, the issue is not the volume of cars rather the speed and safety of Manteca residents and pedestrians.

Is it going to take a person getting hit by a car to make you people act on this?

I sure it will not be my child, because I will not take the situation lightly. Let me reiterate that Woodward Park is the soccer hub of the valley and people come from all over Northern California to see a soccer game, is it going to take a lawsuit to get you and the Manteca Public Works to act?

I am not letting this issue go until there is an adequate crosswalk, speed bump or police officer or crossing guard to see that people can safely cross the street without being fearful of getting hit by a car.

I challenge you to park and observe the intersection during the “traffic hours” in the morning and evening and if you really do not feel the point I am trying to make, I challenge you to bring the youngest child in your family to cross the street to be able to empathize with a parent such as myself who worries every day about my 7 year old crossing that street, because I have to be to work at 6:30 am in Dublin, I cannot drive my son to school.

It is a worry that will never go away as a parent.

I intend on starting an addendum to my petition now that we have more families that have moved into the Paseo West subdivision as it is finalized in its build out, I can obtain many, many more signatures.

This is an issue I am passionate about and I will be relentless until the residents and children can cross the street safely.

Stacey Ivey-Hernandez

Manteca

Sept. 11, 2012