Daly City considers traffic controls at intersection where girl was hit

DALY CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- Daly City officials are considering new traffic controls on a crosswalk where a young girl was seriously injured in a traffic accident last week.

The crosswalk at Westmoor and Mayfair Avenue where a young girl was struck by a car is busy and dangerous.

"It's a bad, bad intersection and they should do something about it," said Daly City resident Charles Dennison.

Every pedestrian who spoke with ABC7 News last Wednesday after the terrible accident said the crosswalk is dangerous.

City councilman Mike Guingona grew up in the neighborhood.

"You know, my mother lives right down the street from there and she's 83-years-old and we don't let her cross the street anymore," Guingona

The car was turning right from busy Skyline Boulevard onto Westmoor and struck the girl at the uncontrolled crosswalk, which is about 50 yards from Skyline.

There have been several car collisions here in the past five years. This is the only pedestrian accident in that period. It's enough to convince city officials that something needs to be done.

But some say traffic controls like flashing lights or stop signs may in fact, cause more accidents since the crosswalk is so close to Skyline Boulevard.

"Rear-end collisions with cars turning and cars being stacked up at the stop sign and people slamming into them," said Daly City manager Patricia Martel.

Instead, city manager Martel suggests restricting car traffic where the crosswalk is now.

"We think a possible solution which would work better is to limit the vehicular movements by installing an island, constructing an island there," Martel added.

The crosswalk would then be eliminated and pedestrians would be directed to the safer controlled crosswalk at the end of the block on Westmoor and Southgate, or to the signaled intersection at Westmoor and Skyline. The plan still needs to be approved by city council.