To: City of Culver City, Culver City Public Works Department, and Culver City Council
From: Concerned Parents, Students, and Residents of Culver City

 
Each morning and afternoon, students from El Rincon Elementary, Culver City Middle School, and Culver City High School cross Overland Avenue at two key intersections: Sawtelle Blvd and Kelmore Avenue.

These intersections are currently controlled by 4-way stop signs. But with two traffic lanes in each direction, the volume and speed of vehicles make them dangerous for pedestrians — especially young children walking to and from school.

While there is one crossing guard stationed at Overland & Sawtelle, even they cannot fully manage traffic due to the width and speed of vehicles. The Overland & Kelmore intersection has no crossing guard at all, leaving families to cross completely unassisted. Meanwhile, drivers regularly roll through stop signs, block crosswalks, or fail to yield, creating daily near-misses and unsafe conditions.

 
🚨 Why We’re Concerned

• Children as young as 5 cross Overland daily
• No crossing guard at Kelmore & Overland
• Fast-moving, multi-lane traffic makes it hard for crossing guards to control intersections
• No dedicated pedestrian signal or physical traffic calming infrastructure
• The road design prioritizes vehicle speed over safety — directly next to a public school

🎯 What We’re Asking For
We respectfully ask that the City of Culver City take immediate steps to improve pedestrian safety at:

• Overland & Sawtelle Blvd
• Overland & Kelmore Ave
• Overland & Flaxton St (proposed new traffic control point)

Specifically, we recommend:

1. Installing traffic signals at one or both intersections for more controlled pedestrian crossings
2. Adding a new 4-way stop at Overland & Flaxton to further reduce speeds between major intersections
3. Stationing crossing guards at both Sawtelle and Kelmore intersections
4. Enhancing crosswalk visibility with raised crosswalks, flashing beacons, and pedestrian-only signal phases
5. Refreshing signage and markings, adding curb extensions or pedestrian refuge islands
6. Enforcing speed limits and stop compliance near all three school zones

🏫 Our Children Deserve Safe Routes to School
Our neighborhood schools — El Rincon Elementary, Culver City Middle School, and Culver City High School — are all walkable. But right now, walking is risky and stressful for students and families. This is a preventable safety crisis that demands immediate action.

As Culver City observes Pedestrian Safety Month this October, we urge city leaders to treat this as a top priority. Let’s make our streets safer for the children who use them every day.

Please sign and share this petition today. Let’s act before tragedy strikes — not after.

 
🙌 Call to Action
Sign now to help us demand safer crosswalks and slower traffic on Overland Avenue — for our kids, our schools, and our community.

Sincerely, 

Sandra Evans, Kaitlyn Young Sciortino, Shira Ben Ezra

Concerned Culver City Parents