Parents’ concerns answered

Huntington Beach parents worried about speeding traffic in southeast Huntington Beach praised City Council members this week as they voted unanimously for new improvements aimed at protecting kids on their way to school.

The 7-0 vote Monday set aside money to build the city a lighted crosswalk at Bushard Street and Yellowstone Drive near Hawes Elementary School. Permanent radar-equipped speed signs will also go in along Indianapolis Avenue, the street where Sowers Middle School student Danny Oates was fatally hit by a pickup truck in August.

Together, the projects make up a pilot program to see how well the new safety measures work. The area with the improvements has half a dozen schools nearby.

The crosswalk, set off by blinking lights to draw the attention of drivers, may be ready by next school year. The radar signs, which show drivers’ current speed next to the speed limit, may be installed as early as March, officials said. They would be the first of their kind to be permanently installed in Huntington Beach, although the city already uses temporary radar trailers that are shifted throughout the city.

The project comes out of two community meetings called by Councilman Don Hansen following Oates’ death. Hansen praised city staff for letting upset residents speak their mind, adding hearing about the issues made him concerned.

“Even though pedestrians have the right of way, they’re meeting with aggressive drivers, with people honking at schoolchildren,” Hansen said. “There are a lot of stories I’ve heard with K-5 kids involved.”

Residents thanked the council in letters and at the meeting for the vote, which they called an important step for area safety.

“I want to thank you all for your vote on [the program],” nearby resident Don Chase said. “It’s very important for us that our children have a safe way to get to school.”

As for the 14-year-old whose Aug. 30 death spurred an outcry on traffic safety, the crash that took his life is still under investigation and likely to wrap up next month, police Lt. Dave Bunetta said. Though police initially said it would take six to eight weeks to come to a conclusion about the accident’s causes, he said the delay was not unheard of.

“We had some additional witnesses come forward,” he said. “It’s typical of an investigation of this nature.”