I live on a Culver City street where the arrival of emergency vehicles alerted the neighborhood to a sexual assault in broad daylight.
Within a couple of minutes’ walking distance of my home are the sites of an armed robbery, at least one murder, and, as I remember, a drive-by shooting.
I live on a Culver City street where two pedestrian vs. vehicle accidents have occurred involving school children. A third accident happened around the corner on Elenda Street.
Traffic was detoured through the neighborhood following an accident on Overland Avenue where an adult tried to cross the street against the light.
On this street, it is a toss-up whether drivers will bother to observe the Stop signs or speed limit signs. I can stand on my porch and watch drivers texting or holding cell phones to their ears or in front of their mouths as they pass through the neighborhood.
Observing a driver’s face at night illuminated by their smart phone as they drive down the street is surreal.
After seeing so many instances of emergency vehicles in the neighborhood, I am concerned about seeing young people making the wrong decisions, such as the young man I observed recently down the street, using the handicap- friendly curb as a ramp to jump his motorcycle over the sidewalk into the oncoming traffic lane – or the group of young men filming one of their members using the film-strip sculpture in front of Veterans Auditorium as a ramp for his skateboard.
Would a greater Police Dept. presence discourage these poor choices? Perhaps some citations would…
For decades, the Police Dept. and parking enforcement officers have been issuing parking citations on the street where I live. Recently a neighbor pointed out one of six signs about the parking restrictions to a violator. He replied that he had been parking on the street for four years and never received a ticket. Therefore, he would take his chances.
Drivers ignore the red zones, block crosswalks and sidewalks without common courtesy, let alone any fear that there will be Police Dept. presence to enforce traffic and parking regulations.
I am going to vote for Measure Y because most of the issues brought up in supporters’ literature are already happening on the street where I live. Tree roots have been breaking through the street for years. Cracks from lack of maintenance long have been evident.
Calls about tree limbs hanging low enough for passing children to swing on are met with apologies about the number of trees that need to be maintained. Fortunately for us, paramedic response has been quick and professional to this point.
Almost a full year before Mr. Richard Kitabayashi was killed, trying to cross Sawtelle in his wheelchair, I reported to Culver City that the Speed Feedback sign at that intersection was not functioning; that the sign still was not functioning the last time I passed it. All of this is symptomatic of the problems facing Culver City now and in the future.
I urge all Culver City residents to at least vote, and I recommend that they vote yes on Measure Y for Culver City’s future.
Mr. Heyl may be contacted at John_Heyl@sbcglobal.net
Regards
John L. Heyl
