East Palo Alto's city engineer says the city should see if flashing signs and new pavement markings will make a dangerous intersection safer, rather than putting in a stop sign.
The intersection at Bay Road and Gloria Way has been the subject of heated debate ever since the death of a 6-year-old girl there in September. Sioreli Torres Zamora was in the crosswalk on her way to school when she was hit by a car and killed.
Residents have said the intersection is dangerous, and have asked the city to install a stop sign. There have been at least six pedestrian accidents at the intersection since 2004, including an incident six months before Zamora's death where a boy was seriously injured in the crosswalk.
State regulations require at least five incidents in a 12-month period to install a stop sign. The city of East Palo Alto drafted a proposal that would allow for a stop sign after three incidents, but the Public Works and Transportation Commission voted against it last month.
City engineer Kamal Fallaha tells the Palo Alto Daily News the commission felt the policy would lead to a "jungle of stop signs."
"I'm hoping after we install the improvements, including the flashing lights, I'm going to monitor the intersection to see if it's doing what it's supposed to do, slowing people down," Fallaha said. "There are other tools besides a stop sign."
