Woman Battles for Safer Crosswalk

The mother of a Simi Valley teenager killed in a city crosswalk four years ago has vowed to help parents of Santa Susana Elementary students fight to get a crosswalk and signal near their school.

“I go through a daily hell,” said Cathy Peterson. “I am not going to sit back and wait for something to happen. No one should have to go through what I go through every day.”

On May 5, 1995, a car struck 13-year-old Travis Peterson as he rode his bicycle in a crosswalk across Erringer Road at the Arroyo Simi. Travis died two days later.

His mother then began a successful crusade to place pedestrian crossing lights at three locations along the Arroyo Simi bike path.

The recent discussion about reinstalling a crosswalk and crossing guard across Cochran Street near Winifred Street stirred old emotions for Peterson.

The crossing guard and crosswalk that had been at the site were moved to Tapo Street during the summer. On Monday, the Simi Valley City Council voted to reinstall the crossing guard and crosswalk at Cochran and Winifred--and to add an additional safety measure, such as a flashing caution light, a pedestrian signal or a full traffic signal.

Peterson said she would work with Santa Susana Elementary parents to make sure the crosswalk receives at least a pedestrian signal, like the ones she lobbied to have installed at the three bike path locations four years ago.

The signals allow traffic to flow freely, issuing a red light “only when a pedestrian or a bicyclist needs to cross,” Peterson said. “They did a very good planning job.”

Peterson said that a simple flashing light will not slow drivers on Cochran Street, which has a speed limit of 45 mph.

“That’s going to be good for a week or so, then people are going to ignore it,” Peterson said. “There is no way that that will work. It’s not effective.”

Peterson does not believe that the city should consider anything less than a pedestrian crossing signal.

Based on comments from the 150 Santa Susana parents who attended Monday night’s meeting, the city will probably install a pedestrian signal or a full traffic signal, said Councilman Paul Miller.