Today (October 24, 2018 at 8:15am) a child was struck by a car speeding on Marques Avenue and Georgetta Drive. I ask, what is it going to take to get people not to drive 30/40/50mph down Marques Avenue? From what I have learned the child sustained non-life threating injuries, but how much longer are we going to tolerate ignorant drivers barreling down a street that serves a major traffic artery to an elementary school? I am exhausted from seeing people come aggressively off of Curtner Avenue, heading north on Marques Avenue at a rate of speed that is reckless, dangerous and borderline criminal. I am aware this is a problem also on Booksin and Dry Creek; streets that also serve as significant thoroughfares into Booksin Elementary. I wonder if it is going to take a child getting maimed, or worse killed, for our politicians, our school leaders, and our community to say finally enough is enough; the speeding has to stop.

Change needs to happen, and fast.
The occasional police presence is only a momentary fix to a swelling issue. The streets of San Jose have become so saturated with radar detectors that drivers have become desensitized to their blinking warnings of one's speed. To ensure the safety of our children, it is imperative that both permanent and temporary solutions be instituted.

Permanent physical speed solutions like speed humps can motivate drivers to slow down. That in addition to crossing lighting indicating to drivers that a pedestrian is entering into the crosswalk can create behavioral changes. These permanent solutions slow down traffic both during peak school pick up and drop off hours in addition to times when school is out, but several intermural activities are still happening at the school (e.g., soccer, after-school care, softball games, and children just enjoying the grass/play structures).

Temporary solutions like crossing guards create a safe and productive environment to allow for the safe crossing of our children. Crossing guards add significant behavior change during the school entry and exit periods during the day; times when the traffic and reckless driving is at its peak.

I'm asking the City of San Jose, Councilmember Dev Davis, Mayor Sam Liccardo, San Jose Unified School District and Booksin Elementary School Loretta Gustafson to help protect our children from the reckless speeders around Booksin Elementary School. It is time for a change, enough speeding and endangering the lives of our children.