Kern County Public Works Department’s Mt. Vernon Avenue (between East Brundage Lane and East California Avenue) and Potomac Avenue submitted a grant application for Community Project Funding through Congressman David Valadao’s office. The project proposes to increase pedestrian safety on these two roadways. More specifically, this project intends to fill sidewalk gaps, provide necessary ADA-compliant accessibility features, and increase crosswalk visibility near Mt. Vernon Elementary School in east Bakersfield.
Pedestrian counts and surveys have indicated that many pedestrians may jaywalk to reach more complete sidewalks on the opposite side of the road. Altogether, over the last 10 years, there have been 14 pedestrian/cyclist collisions along these roads, with one resulting in a serious injury. This indicates that the proposed sidewalks are paramount in reducing collisions along this dangerous corridor and discouraging instances of jaywalking.
At Bike Bakersfield, we were lucky to be invited to participate alongside Public Works, CHP, and California Walks at Mt. Vernon Elementary School back in 2019 before the pandemic hit. We helped train and organize parents during a Community Bike and Pedestrian Safety Training (CBPST) through Cal Walks, and conducted helmet fitting and hand signal practice during a school-wide assembly with Officer Rodriguez from CHP.
“Over the last 10 years, Kern County has experienced what public health officials have described as an epidemic of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities. Nearly 70 pedestrian/bicycle collisions occurred in this southeast Bakersfield community during this period, with approximately 20 percent of these collisions occurring within the Mt. Vernon and Potomac Avenue project area.“
Alexa Kolosky, Supervising Planner, Kern County Public Works
If this proposal is funded, Mt. Vernon Avenue – between East Brundage Lane and California Avenue – and Potomac Avenue – between the railroad tracks and Oswell Street – will be improved to include a continuous pedestrian pathway for users of all ages and abilities. Pedestrians will be provided with safer connections to schools, bus stops, and markets. Additionally, crossing improvements will increase the visibility of pedestrians and cyclists at unprotected crossings and will reduce instances of vehicle conflicts.
Walking, cycling, and public transportation are common modes of travel in this area, but it can be difficult for even the average user to walk or reach the bus stop in the existing conditions. A wheelchair user or senior would face exceptional obstacles maneuvering over or around this terrain. Community meetings held in the area highlighted that many families also rely on the laundromat on the corner of Mt. Vernon Avenue and California Avenue, but due to the missing sidewalks it is exceptionally difficult for them to push their rolling laundry baskets from home to the laundromat and back.
This proposal has the potential to benefit hundreds of children walking in unsafe conditions to Mt. Vernon Elementary School, as well as students walking to the school bus stops for Mira Monte High School, Sierra Middle School, Fairfax Middle School, and Virginia Avenue Elementary School. These conditions include missing or crumbling sidewalks and low/no visibility at unprotected crosswalks or legal crossings. At certain points on Mt. Vernon Avenue, pedestrians and wheelchair users can be forced to maneuver on to the road shoulders or bike lanes due to illegal vehicle parking in the area where sidewalks should be, or to avoid uneven or muddy terrain. These scenarios can easily turn dangerous when combined with low lighting, low visibility, and speeding vehicles in the adjacent lanes.
**Do you live in Congressman Valadao’s (CA-21) District? Check out the map at the bottom or look up your zip code here. Encourage him to support the Mt. Vernon and Potomac Project! Check out the map of his district below, and use the contact form on his webpage: https://valadao.house.gov/contact/
Learn more about Kern County Public Works Transportation Work Here.