New safety measures moving ahead at one of San Jose’s deadliest

The San Jose Metropolis Council took motion this week in hopes of constructing one of many metropolis’s deadliest intersections safer for individuals crossing the road. Seven individuals have been killed whereas strolling close to Monterey Street and Curtner Avenue. Six of the deaths have been attributed to hit and run drivers. The town council signed off on a brand new pilot program that can set up obstacles on the intersection early subsequent 12 months at the price of as much as $50,000. In line with the Mercury News, crews will put in a big chainlink fence alongside the median of Monterey Street which is able to pressure individuals to make use of the crosswalks on the intersection to get all the way in which throughout.

The intersection of Monterey Street and Curtner Avenue sits in district 7 which is represented by Councilmember Maya Esparza who initially pushed this system. “This intersection has develop into an issue, notably at evening. Notably once I try this drive late at evening on a Friday and Saturday evening I see loads of erratic driving. We’re doing the prevention and the opposite half is the justice,” Esparza advised San Jose Spotlight. 

Esparza can also be asking the town of San Jose to put in 4 visitors cameras on the intersection to presumably catch hit and run drivers and different criminals sooner or later. The cameras would price round $35,000 to put in and the town is at present video information area and privateness considerations earlier than making a call. “The cameras are vital due to the variety of incidents there. However in my thoughts, for me, the prevention is extra vital than the after-effect,” Councilmember David Cohen advised Mercury Information. “Our aim must be to forestall incidents like this, so the obstacles and different bodily issues that we are able to do to forestall incidents must be our main goal,” Cohen mentioned. 

Monterey Street appears to be the larger drawback as a result of individuals typically attain speeds they’d use on a freeway. A part of the reason being the street appears like a freeway as a result of it runs all the way in which right down to Gilroy. One other subject is homelessness. At the very least 2 of the 7 victims on this 12 months’s lethal pedestrian crashes had been mentioned to be individuals who had been residing on the streets in close by camps. Some had been crossing illegally. The town housing division is predicted to achieve out to the homeless inhabitants residing close to the intersection to assist train them learn how to be secure when crossing and to alert them in regards to the new obstacles.