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Pedestrians, kids now safer around Malcolm X School

April 11, 2012 9:00 am by Tracey Taylor

Three years ago a six-year old girl called Nia was run over on a crosswalk a stone’s throw from her elementary school in Berkeley. That school was Malcolm X on Ashby Avenue, a state highway. Since then, parents have been campaigning to improve pedestrian safety around the school.

According to Jenne King, chair of the school’s Traffic and Safety Committee, it is only through the actions of those parents, and not through efforts by the city or the school district, that change has come. Read her piece published today in our Opinionator section.

The good news is that six-year old Nia survived the collision, and that matters have improved since the video above was made in February 2011.

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  • http://stefanco.com Stefan Lasiewski

    Sadly the California Safe Routes to Schools program, which can help fund improvements to our dropoff areas, has faced repeated and severe budget cuts in the last few years:

    https://www.google.com/search?q=california%20safe%20routes%20to%20school%20budget%20cuts

    California Safe Routes to Schools is certainly not the only solution, nor the best solution, but it can help.

    Other solutions, such as obeying traffic laws, stop signs, “No U-Turn” signs, are free.

  • Heather_W_62

    I applaud the citizens/parents/families who participated in getting this done; that true community involvement and care! Good work!

    I commute that corridor on the way to work in the morning — and I can tell you that the signage, pedestrian walk lights and earlier, the people out with signs, have made me much more aware of my own speed and who is crossing the street, or waiting to do so. The visibility on Ashby Ave is really making a difference!

    Really great job!

  • Cammy

    Someone should make a similar video for Cragmont Elementary School. Parents and kids are always running across the street at Marin and Cragmont. There’s a crosswalk with a yellow school sign, but it’s not very visible for cars coming up the hill at an accelerated speed. The school has a the maximum crossing guards on Spruce, and they won’t put any more on Marin and Cragmont. There NEEDS to be better safety for all on this very busy street. It’s time the city did something and help put a blinking light, or something that makes cars look and slow down!