Imagine living near a beautiful, newly renovated popular park, but to go there people had to risk their lives while crossing an extremely busy and unsafe road!

That's the reality in my neighborhood and more importantly, for my children and many other kids who visit this nearby park. The pedestrian crossing on Pruneridge Ave and La Herran Drive is only steps from our homes and connects our neighborhood to this beautiful park called Westwood Oaks Park, which is very popular amongst the neighborhood kids and adults alike, a place where kids should feel safe walking to. Instead, the parents are forced to worry about speeding cars, poor visibility, and a crossing that does not protect pedestrians, each time their children walk to the park. It is a shame for our ‘Tree City’ that neighbors have started driving to the neighborhood park to save themselves from being hit while crossing Pruneridge Avenue.

This dangerous crossing is located close to Lawrence Expressway and is on a curve, making it difficult for drivers to notice pedestrians until it may already be too late. There aren't enough signs warning the drivers to slow down for the approaching crossing, and the lack of proper lighting makes the situation even worse at dusk and during winters. 

The pedestrian crossing on Pruneridge Ave at La Herran Dr. has existed for decades, but it is no longer adequate for the significant increase in the traffic on Pruneridge Ave in recent years. The Crosswalk Flags Program (orange flags) installed last year are ineffective, especially after dark. These are not minor concerns — they are serious safety hazards.

Across the country, unsafe crossings have led to thousands of pedestrian injuries and deaths every year. Here in our own neighborhood, many residents have already reported near-miss incidents at this exact location. A message shared among neighbors brought immediate concern, and many people came forward with their own frightening experiences of nearly being hit. We should not wait for a tragedy before acting.

The City of Santa Clara must take immediate action to protect the residents. This crossing needs clearer and larger crosswalk markings, stronger signage, improved lighting, and traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps or a pedestrian-activated signal on this crosswalk. These changes are not optional — they are urgently needed to prevent injury and to save lives. Our community deserves better, and our children deserve to walk safely to the park. The residents of Westwood Oaks are calling on the City of Santa Clara  to act now and make the crossing on Pruneridge Ave and La Herran Dr. safer for everyone before it is too late. 

I request you to sign this petition today to demand that the City of Santa Clara make immediate safety improvements at this dangerous pedestrian crossing.