As a parent, nothing matters more to me than the safety of our children and community. That’s why I am deeply concerned about the repeated vehicle-into-building incidents at Woodbury Town Center in Irvine.

Most recently, a car crashed into a storefront near Great Foundations Montessori. Just months earlier, another vehicle drove into a pediatric dentistry office. These are not isolated or rare events—they are a pattern. And while we are fortunate that no one was seriously injured in these incidents, we cannot rely on luck to keep our families safe.

Every day, children, parents, and community members walk along these storefronts—heading to school, appointments, shops, and restaurants. Areas like Great Foundations Montessori are especially sensitive, as young children are present and vulnerable. A single moment of driver error—whether accidental acceleration, distraction, or loss of control—can have devastating consequences.

This is not just about one school or one business. This is about the safety of everyone who visits Woodbury Town Center.

We are calling on the City of Irvine and property management to take a simple, effective, and widely used preventative measure:
Install protective barriers (such as bollards) in front of storefronts throughout the plaza.

These barriers:

• Physically prevent vehicles from mounting sidewalks and crashing into buildings
• Protect pedestrians, including children and families
• Can be designed to blend with the environment
• Can even serve dual purposes, such as bike racks

Many cities and shopping centers have already implemented these solutions after similar incidents (examples: Indianapolis (2026)​, Tampa / Ybor City (2026)​, New Orleans, etc). 

Proactive safety measures like these are proven, practical, and long overdue here.

We should not wait for a tragedy to take action.

As a community, we have a responsibility to advocate for safer public spaces, especially where children learn, play, and grow.

We urge the City of Irvine and Woodbury Town Center management to prioritize pedestrian safety and install protective barriers in front of all storefronts.

Let’s act now to prevent the next accident—before it’s too late.