Cupertino parents, students push for stop sign to be installed at intersection near school
Parents and students in Cupertino are pushing for a stop sign to be installed at an intersection they say is dangerous.
Henry Widjaja is a senior at Cupertino High School who usually walks to campus every day. And in this community, he has plenty of company on the sidewalks.
"We have one of the higher rates of students walking or biking to the school," Widjaja said.
About 20% of students walk and 19% ride a bike, according to the city's 2022 Safe Routes to School survey.
"It's a great way to get to school. You don't get stuck in car traffic in the morning, as long as you can keep it safe."
And that is why as a student leader, Widjaja helped raise concerns with city and the school over the danger of the T intersection on Finch Avenue at Calle de Barcelona, adjacent to campus.
Finch Avenue traffic doesn't have a stop sign and cars often go over the posted speed limit right as they approach a crosswalk.
"You got to get through this gauntlet, this little intersection where you don't know if you're supposed to go, is the car supposed to go. There's a moment of uncertainty," Widjaja said as he crossed the street.
Last year, a car hit a student who was riding a bike to school.
"The bike was coming down Calle de Barcelona, there was a car coming, and they didn't see him, and they collided. The biker was OK, eventually, they got to school," according to Widjaja, who was part of a group of students and parents who advocated for the intersection to become a three-way stop.
A petition calling for a stop sign garnered about 225 parent signatures. The city of Cupertino responded by adding crossing guards.
They are working during peak times in the mornings and afternoons which does make the crossing much safer.
But Widjaja is still pushing for a stop sign because sometimes — as on one recent afternoon — the crossing guard was only on duty for about 25 minutes.
And students and neighbors cross the street all day long.
"Some people have different schedules. They have a free first period or a free last period. They're going to come here at different times and the crossing guards can't be here all the time," he said.
A city spokesperson said Cupertino puts its biggest investments in traffic safety around schools, and that it is still studying the issue of a stop sign.
"We commit to having the intersection evaluated by experts in the field who will make recommendations, leading to the safest possible outcome," according to an emailed statement.
As for Widjaja, he hopes his advocacy will not only make for a safer walk to school, but also be a learning moment for his fellow students.
"This intersection is just one example of how if students were to speak up, could get something changed. We don't want another student getting hit, or even killed. So, if people would just speak up about it and how dangerous it is, then we could get something permanent."
But it will most likely be a challenge left up to his younger classmates because Widjaja graduates this June and will be off to college in the fall.
School administrators said they are also open to working with the city, students and parents to increase safety at that intersection and welcome further study.