Indio Residents Upset Over Removed Crosswalks

Jeanette Perez is up in arms about what the city did in front of her house this week. At the corner of Miles Ave. and Sungold St., the city got rid of the crosswalks.

“I thought they were going to repaint it,” she said. ” When we spoke to the workers, they said ‘No, it’s being removed.'”

Perez says children need those crosswalks to get to their school, Hoover Elementary, located four blocks away. Now, students have to walk one block west to Miles Ave. and Monroe St. just to get across.

“They’re kids!” she said. “They’re going to cross and continue on with what they’ve always done!”

According to a city spokesperson, a traffic advisory committee recommended in October to eliminate those crosswalks. The committee felt the crossing at Miles and Monroe was safer than Miles and Sungold.

But, some students say they don’t like the change.

“I’m sad because they took it off,” said Yaquelyn Gonzalez, 9, “because my brothers always cross [there].”

Perez isn’t fighting the city on her own. She canvassed the neighborhood and collected nearly 100 signatures for a petition. She plans to take those signatures with her at next week’s city council meeting. But, she is willing to work with the city to strike a deal: replace the removed crosswalks for stop signs.

Her neighbor, Alejandra Marmolejo, agrees. “The cars pass by here pretty fast. They do not respect the speed limit,” Marmolejo said.

The city says concerned residents should contact the traffic advisory committee to take a second look at the situation. Only time will tell if students will follow the safest route…or the most convenient one.