Residents and educators press Los Banos leaders for quicker fixes after student-area crashes

Parents, teachers and residents urged the Los Banos City Council on May 20 to take faster, targeted steps to protect students and pedestrians near local schools, saying existing crossings and enforcement are insufficient.

Jeff Dela Cruz, a Pacheco High School teacher and parent, told the council he has witnessed students struck or nearly struck while traveling to and from school and urged the city to act before a more serious tragedy occurs. "Are we going to wait until something horrible happens?" Dela Cruz asked during public comment, noting repeated near-misses during arrival and dismissal times.

Christine Qualls, whose son was killed in a recent head-on crash on Santa Barbara Street, pleaded for immediate calming measures. "It is very, very dangerous," Qualls said, asking the council to install speed bumps on that street and to consider crossing guards for particularly hazardous intersections.

Several other residents described blocked sight lines, drivers running stop signs, and school buses and drivers creating chaotic conditions around campuses. Paula Lopez, a local daycare provider, said she sometimes drops children off earlier to avoid the congestion and criticized inconsistent behavior from other drivers and occasional employees who park improperly.

Council members acknowledged the concerns and described multiple near-term and longer-term responses. Police Commander Melden said the department coordinated a multi-agency traffic enforcement operation earlier that day that included motor officers from neighboring agencies. "During this, we had 18 officers engage in traffic enforcement in our community," Melden said, adding that officers made several hundred traffic stops and that the operation was intended to reinforce compliance in school zones and along Pacheco Boulevard.

Public Works Director William Vai said engineering fixes are being planned where warranted. Vai described a package of near-term actions (crossing guards, targeted enforcement, and rectangular rapid flashing beacons at specific crosswalks) and longer-term projects (ADA corner reconstructions and full-depth pavement work) that will be scheduled across phases of the street rehabilitation program. He said the city has programmed funding for design of additional crossing improvements in the coming budget cycle.

Council members said they would continue to collaborate with the school district, police and parents. Several said crossing guards are among the fastest deployable options and that the city plans to continue data-driven reviews of intersections raised by residents. The police department and city staff invited residents to meet with staff on May 27 to discuss specific trouble spots.

The council did not take an immediate binding policy vote at the meeting; several related items (traffic enforcement, traffic unit resourcing and design funding for crossings) were discussed in department reports and will appear in future budget and project schedules.

Ending: Council members encouraged residents to report specific incidents to the police department and to participate in the scheduled follow-up meeting so staff can prioritize locations and funding in the next budget cycle.