Colorado parents in one town advocate for changes ahead of "Vision Zero" meeting
After two children were hit on Baseline Road crosswalks within 24 hours, Lafayette parents are taking street safety into their own hands.
Kristin Zangrilli is one of nearly 20 local parents who take turns escorting children across Baseline Road before and after school.
"We have yellow vests, we put them on. We have large orange flags, we press the button, we wait for traffic to stop, and then we cross," Zangrilli said.
A mother of two, Zangrilli vividly remembers the Sept. 5 accident that seriously injured a girl on her way home from school crossing Baseline Road at King Street.
"I drove past the first accident coming back from dropping one of my children off," Zangrilli said. "I remember thinking to myself, this one's bad."
The next morning, a boy biking to school just blocks away was struck in a hit-and-run at Baseline Road and Roser Drive.
"My phone's blowing up. It happened again; it's a young boy in the neighborhood," Zangrilli said. "Tears and confusion and disbelief, I mean, two children in horrific, violent crashes in not even a day, in less than 18 hours."
Both children were crossing Baseline Road in crosswalks with the lights flashing.
"They were just trying to go to and from school," Zangrilli said.
Since then, Zangrilli and other parents have helped children cross and advocated for safety changes on this stretch of Baseline. The area of Baseline Road has both an RTD and a school bus stop, so the crosswalks are frequently used. The speed limit is currently 40 mph, but Zangrilli says she often sees cars speeding.
"It's too fast. I regularly see people flying highway speeds," Zangrilli said.
She wants to see the speed limit reduced to 30 or 35 mph and traffic flow reduced to one lane.
The victim in the first accident is back in school with Zangrilli's children, but Zangrilli says she will suffer long-term health complications.
"The boy in the second accident- he has a very long road ahead of him. His life will never be the same, and this is all avoidable," Zangrilli said.
Following the two crashes, both drivers were charged, and Lafayette police increased traffic patrols in the corridor. City officials visited the site and discussed potential improvements with parents like Zangrilli.
Along with Boulder County, Lafayette is working on a Vision Zero Action Plan that hopes to eliminate serious injury and fatal traffic crashes and is set to be adopted in 2025.
But Zangrilli wants changes sooner.
"We are pushing for more immediate solutions. Jersey barriers could be put up here. They're inexpensive, and you could do it as a trial," Zangrilli said.
She won't stop fighting for safer roads or begging drivers to slow down.
"We're all gonna get to that next light at the same time. There's no reason to rush. Is it worth you hitting someone and changing their life and changing your life at the same time?" Zangrilli asked.
Zangrilli and other parents are prepared to act as volunteer crossing guards for the rest of the school year.
"It's not our job to be the crosswalk monitors. It's not our job to police the roads," Zangrilli said. "We're doing this for the kids, and we refuse to accept another violent crash."
The City of Lafayette will hold a Vision Zero workshop on Monday, Oct. 28, at City Hall, 1290 South Public Road at 5:30 p.m. Zangrilli and other neighbors will be in attendance.
