As a local resident and a stakeholder, I am deeply concerned about the persistent issue revolving around Los Gatos High School - the absence of any secondary point of vehicle access. Currently, there exists only a single point of access to and from our school, presenting a variety of issues. This unique situation gives rise to numerous public safety concerns, including heavy traffic congestion during school hours, limited school safety measures, and insufficient means for emergency evacuation.

Los Gatos, being a small town, is not designed to handle the rush hour stress targeted at one access point and it has become increasingly clear that this situation is unsustainable. The American Transportation Research Institute affirms that school traffic diversions, such as ours, contribute significantly to local traffic congestion, leading to unnecessary delays and fuel consumption, not to mention unneeded frustrations (ATRI, 2019).

Besides the daily hassle of traffic congestion, the singular access point raises critical safety questions. What might happen in an emergency situation where swift evacuation is needed? With this bottleneck, we risk placing our school community in a vulnerable position, a risk we can no longer afford.

We urge the local authorities to recognize the urgency of our situation, and establish a second point of vehicular access for Los Gatos High School. With the Los Gatos Lodge property redevelopment, now is the time to pursue this needed access.  This new access point would help to mitigate daily traffic congestion, fortify school safety protocols and improve emergency evacuation routes - ultimately ensuring a safer, smoother-running and less stressful environment for our children.

Please join us in this cause. Sign the petition to add a secondary vehicle access point to Los Gatos High school for the sake of our community's safety and peace of mind.