As Enrique Naranjo approached the intersection of 11th Street and Highway 1 in Guadalupe Monday afternoon, he grabbed his daughter Leslie's hand.

The two were walking to the Boys and Girls Club, and Naranjo wanted to make sure Leslie got across the road safely.

Because the intersection is right next to a blind curve coming into Guadalupe, it makes the list of areas that need improvements to increase safety for pedestrians, especially children walking to and from school.

A Mary Buren School student was hit, but not injured, just two months ago attempting to cross that street, which sees a steady stream of vehicles, especially semi-trucks.

Caltrans officials have agreed to paint a crosswalk at 11th Street and Highway 1 by November, but other intersections also need improvements, such as crosswalks, preferably with blinking lights embedded into the asphalt; reduced speed-limit zones; speed monitors; and striping.

That's why educators, city officials, parents and community members have assembled and applied for $1 million in Safe Routes to School funding to make walking and biking to and from school safer for Guadalupe youngsters.

"It's the city's responsibility to do what it can do for kids to ensure their safety," said Guadalupe Mayor Lupe Alvarez.

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Highways 1 and 166 have become major arteries that cross in the middle of town. With two housing projects coming online in the near future - the Woodlands development near Nipomo and DJ Farms in Guadalupe - traffic will definitely pick up along the two highways, Alvarez said. Semi-trucks and farm equipment breeze along the streets as well, increasing risk, said Hugo Lara, superintendent of the Guadalupe Union School District.

School and city officials alike have already noticed an increase in traffic around the city.

The Safe Routes to School Program is meant to encourage students to walk or bike to school by making the journey safer. This can include installing sidewalks and bus lanes, painting in crosswalks, increasing the amount of signs informing drivers of the school zone, as well as adding stop signs and stoplights to busy intersections.

As many as 5,000 child pedestrians are injured each year, according to the state Office of Traffic Safety. Pedestrian accidents are the second leading cause of fatal injuries among 5- to 12-year-olds statewide while bicycle crashes are fifth.

Getting students to walk or bike to school will increase their independence, knowledge of the city's layout, experience with traffic rules and physical activity.

"We want to be proactive and try to prevent any type of injury or accident in the future," Lara said. "We assume responsibility to the children walking to and from school."

City officials submitted the Safe Routes to School grant about a month ago but aren't sure when they'll hear back. In the meantime, they will keep meeting with community members, parents and Caltrans officials to reduce the risk of crossing some streets among the city of 6,000.

For now, pedestrians will have to be extra careful crossing streets such as 11th at Highway 1 - where the Boys and Girls Club's 700 members head for activities each day and the community travels to LeRoy Park.

Michelle Hatfield can be reached at 739-2216 or mhatfield@santamariatimes.com.

July 26, 2005