Proposed safety upgrades are coming to roughly 50 intersections across Cathedral City

Safety improvements are coming to roughly 50 intersections throughout Cathedral City, after the City received an estimated $3.5 million in state funding this year.

The project will upgrade two street intersections that currently don’t have traffic signals: Cathedral Canyon Drive and Ortega Road and 30th Avenue and Avenida La Paz. 

30th Avenue and La Paz is adjacent to Landua Elementary School and sees high pedestrian and traffic volumes. 

Graphics from the City show the existing conditions there, along with the proposed improvements, which will include the installation of pedestrian signals, ADA curb ramps, high visibility crosswalks, and advanced warning signs. 

Parents like Hilda De La Torre whose child attends Landau Elementary said the intersection at 30th Avenue and Avenida La Paz is often busy, and the crosswalk feels unsafe at times.

“Have I seen where they nearly run people over? Yes. Where there's crashes here because of that problem too. The safety of our parents and the safety of the kids are at risk here," said De la Torre.

John Corella, Director of Engineering Public Works, said the City has seen more unsafe driving.

”Since Covid when the streets were empty, we’ve seen an uptick, as other cities across the nation, in drivers speeding," said Corella. The City has been working with Palm Springs Unified School District on a solution.  

Watch News Channel 3 at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. tonight for more on the story.