City officials tout major road safety improvements near L.A. schools

Last year, a mother was killed, and her daughter was severely injured in a crosswalk while on the way to school in Hancock Park. The tragic event prompted L.A. city officials to make plans to improve road safety around schools.

Wednesday, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho was outside Van Nuys Elementary to officially roll out the wide-sweeping changes.

"Street improvements around 450 intersections, benefiting more than 40 schools," Carvalho said. "The deployment of 250 speed humps benefiting 92 schools. And then the one low-cost element that works so well through awareness and visibility - the painting the signage to create school zones that reduce the speed of vehicles around them."

KNX News' Karen Adams reports that officials also announced that more than 500 crossing guards will keep students safe in the L.A. school district - the largest number in a decade.

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Ruben Hernandez, a parent of a fourth grader at Van Nuys Elementary , is pleased, saying, "These things that are coming up are actually helping us because it's letting other people know that they should get back to the roots of staying safe and being safe."

LADOT General Manager Laura Rubio-Cornejo said of the modifications, "These improvements mark the most significant school traffic safety program ever pursued in Los Angeles, serving thousands of students each and every day. Each of these treatments help prevent the kind of unsafe driving behavior that puts children at risk."

She said the initiative prioritized locations where speeding is a significant problem and where children often walk to school.

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