Richland mom: 'They almost got hit and that was with us there'
»Play Video
RICHLAND, Wash. -- Valerie Anderson and Zelene Fowler are out on the street each weekday morning. They stand guard at the corner of Kensington Way and Nottingham, close to Duportail in Richland.
They gather the kids 8:25 am and walk as a group to White Bluffs Elementary School. There is no marked crosswalk and no stop sign.
Valerie said, "I screamed at the top of my lungs down here and they almost got hit, and that was with us there."
Drivers from either direction are coming out of a blind corner making it all the more risky for the kids. Valerie and Zelene thought these were good enough reasons to contact the city of Richland.
"They keep saying, we know there's a problem, we know that it needs to be handled but it's been a year and a half since I talked to them and there still isn't anything," Valerie said.
The moms would like to see a crosswalk added or possibly a crossing guard, and even a stop sign.
Anything, they say, to get drivers to keep their eyes peeled for kids.
Zelene said, "If they saw the bright orange cross guards and the cross stop then they would pay more attention."
KEPR took their concerns to Richland's Public Works. We were told the problem at Kensington and Nottingham has been reviewed before. At that time, the situation didn't call for a cross walk or stop sign. Richland said it now deserves a second look, especially with more construction on the way.
Jeff Peters said, "We will continue to monitor it. We're going to be doing some traffic counts this year so if that's an area we can see if there's any additional traffic."
They aren't making any promises but it's a start. For now the safest way to White Bluffs is staying on Kensington and crossing at the top of the hill.
Its a temporary solution to a growing problem.
The parents in this neighborhood tell KEPR they will continue to stay at the corner and serve as a crossing guard until final changes are made.
The moms also say they reached out to the school district but any changes would have to go through the city first.
They gather the kids 8:25 am and walk as a group to White Bluffs Elementary School. There is no marked crosswalk and no stop sign.
Valerie said, "I screamed at the top of my lungs down here and they almost got hit, and that was with us there."
Drivers from either direction are coming out of a blind corner making it all the more risky for the kids. Valerie and Zelene thought these were good enough reasons to contact the city of Richland.
"They keep saying, we know there's a problem, we know that it needs to be handled but it's been a year and a half since I talked to them and there still isn't anything," Valerie said.
The moms would like to see a crosswalk added or possibly a crossing guard, and even a stop sign.
Anything, they say, to get drivers to keep their eyes peeled for kids.
Zelene said, "If they saw the bright orange cross guards and the cross stop then they would pay more attention."
KEPR took their concerns to Richland's Public Works. We were told the problem at Kensington and Nottingham has been reviewed before. At that time, the situation didn't call for a cross walk or stop sign. Richland said it now deserves a second look, especially with more construction on the way.
Jeff Peters said, "We will continue to monitor it. We're going to be doing some traffic counts this year so if that's an area we can see if there's any additional traffic."
They aren't making any promises but it's a start. For now the safest way to White Bluffs is staying on Kensington and crossing at the top of the hill.
Its a temporary solution to a growing problem.
The parents in this neighborhood tell KEPR they will continue to stay at the corner and serve as a crossing guard until final changes are made.
The moms also say they reached out to the school district but any changes would have to go through the city first.
Sad that there is still no change :(
And one last noticing, the "attack the messenger" game KEPR is playing, to attack and demonize the parents.
Â
this is the caption on the previous page:
Â
"A group of Richland moms reached out to Action News terrified about what they see as a lack of safety for kids walking to school."
Â
"what they see as?"
Â
No, WHAT IS. Catch the 'attack the messenger' game being floated to attempt to subtly exonerate the City of Richland.
Â
Its not a real problem, its just their "perception" is what KEPR is saying.
Â
It appears to me that children nearly being run down in the street is NOT A PERCEPTION PROBLEM.
Â
but, thats Dry Cities Media bowing and worshipping Government and Police, it couldnt POSSIBLY be their problem, could it?
Coming from a place with good streets/highways, the streets, markings, signage in Richland are a JOKE.
Â
The City had $8000 to WASTE on a fish fence downtown because someone "might" walk onto the sidewalk and maybe get hit by a car, coming from the farmers market.
Â
Scams like that are often floated on the words "might" and "can"...
Â
Never mind that someone walking down the sidewalk who DIDNT come from the F.M. might also, but this isnt about peoples safety, its about legal exoneration of the City in the process of renting FM spaces out.
Â
The streets etc here are worse than a joke, especially in the winter, with Richland absolutely incompetent to even deal with a tiny bit of snow.
Â
A WSP Trooper told me that he knew the merging lane of 182 N into GWW was a hazard (theres a SERIOUS blind spot hazard there that resulted in or contributed to a fatality there a couple years ago) but that Richland wouldn't do anything about it.
Â
Richalnd DOES have time for solar boondoggles, and planting historical signs in yards.
Â
The first, and only significant problem in my observation, with nearly a million miles on the roads, is that people around here are incompetent drivers, and no amount of paint or signs will stop that. I got tired of nearly being hit by vehicles that refuse to yield right of way to pedestrians at Jadwin/Lee.
Â
I've stopped going up town (to spend money, get it?) because of the idiot drivers that refuse to yield right of way to pedestrians, INCLUDING a Post Office truck.
Â
Thre's nothing up town I need, I have internet and credit card. Uptown businesses just lose out..
Â
Incompetent drivers on top of grossly incompetent City Administration, an untenable situation.
PS as an example of miserable signage, I see a "road closed ahead" sign placed when the Farmers Market is operating.
Â
People coming here from States with REAL roadway systems and real signage, recognize that sign as meaning "they street we are on NOW is closed" which leaves them looking to make a turn for a detour.
Â
It is used on Jadwin meaning Lee, cross street, is closed. It shoudl read "Lee closed to left turn" or similar.
Â
Sheer, utter, gross incompetence. Inexcusable.
I totally agree... let's get this problem fixed now before a real problem occurs!
This is a definite problem. The reporter indicated they could cross safely at the top of the hill, but failed to mentioned that it is 2 blocks in the opposite direction that these students (that live in the lower neighborhood) walk to get to and from school. Grade school students are just not going to go that far out of their way to cross at a crosswalk with crossing guards! The school provides an opening in the fenced school yard to allow students access, but no safe way to cross Kensington at or near that opening. No signage along Kensington indicating a "school", or "students present" until you are directly in front of the school. Thsi is not adequate!
Cars go way to fast on Kensington, and after school traffic is much worse. Â There are no painted crosswalks, no posted signs stating that there is a school around the corner, no speed limit signs. Â This area is an accident waiting to happen. Â If you approach the school from Tomich Ave you will note there are lots of warning signs in each direction, Â which is strange since the majority of the traffic going to the school is on Kensington. Â
 @Maggie Theres a SIMPLE solution to this (real or imagined) crossing problem
Â
SPEED BUMPS.
Â
But then the Richland cops couldnt sit in their cars, eat donuts and bust speeders, could they?
Â
If its SUCH a crisis, set removable speed bumps across the road, not only does that guarantee that traffic wil slo, but it more clearly marks the School Zone that is, in most places, nearly impossible to determine where it starts or ends.
Â
There is one place locally that has put up an "end school zone" sign.
Â
Its not a crisis, in general, whens the last time a child was actually hit in a crosswalk?