Monday Mailbag

More traffic news.

As you might expect, the traffic accident at Indian Hill Blvd. and 10th St. last week generated a few responses, a couple of which we've posted below. The accident left two pedestrians hospitalized, one of them a five-year-old boy. (See paragraph at the end of this post for a Sunday, May 17th update on Noah Witt's condition) Here are the emails:

DATE: Friday, May 15, 2009 8:04 AM
SUBJECT: Crosswalk
TO: Claremont Buzz

Hey Buzz,

Thanks for posting the information about the crosswalk. I was at the Film Festival last night and overheard people talking about the accident.

It's sad, but just a few nights ago my friends and I were talking about that exact same intersection. I was on 10th street trying to cross to the east side of Indian Hill. I kept pushing the stupid crosswalk button over and over again, but it wouldn't register. It wasn't "clicking" to indicate that I had pushed it, and it definitely wasn't turning the lights on.

Traffic was heavy and it was dark, so I waited on my side of the street until my friends came up on the opposite side. They were able to get the lights to turn on, but traffic on Indian Hill didn't bother to stop, so we had to dart between cars anyway.

Claremont isn't as pedestrian friendly as it should be, especially Indian Hill. Sooner or later, someone is going to be hit at Indian Hill and First street, another terrible spot where pedestrians need to cross but are fighting turning cars.

It's a shame a little boy had to be hurt before anyone would fix the 10th and Indian Hill crosswalk. I am keeping him in my thoughts and hope he recovers.

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SUBJECT: re: Pedestrian-vehicle "accident" @ 10th St & Indian Hill Blvd
DATE: Friday, May 15, 2009 5:02 PM
TO: Claremont Buzz

I'm surprised there haven't been more such incidents at/near this very dangerous intersection. Over the past nine years I have witnessed vehicles - especially southbound - drive through the "flashing" crosswalk signal, without the slightest hesitation, on occasions too numerous to recall. The city needs to install a formal, four-way traffic signal at this intersection. We need to put a stone in the shoe of the fast-moving traffic that pollutes Indian Hill Blvd daily, but especially on Saturdays. Often is the case that I am beeped/cursed at by my fellow motorists, "passing through" (?) Claremont enroute to G#d knows where, as I respect the posted Speed Limit. I have been tail-gated too many times by these cretins, especially in the southbound lane. I have witnessed very few speeding stops on IH over the years. Where's the CPD? Too busy patrolling the Claremont-Pomona border regions?

PT in Claremont

Tony Krickl's blog had two posts, both of which had some pointed comments.

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Councilmember Sam Pedroza blogged Sunday just before noon that,

"As you may have read in our local papers, a really horrible accident took place on Indian Hill and 10th Street. The crosswalk at Indian Hill and 10th is a very controversial intersection. We are all praying for the Witt family. The good news is that both mother and son are recovering, the latest updates that I am receiving show that Noah Witt, Tony's son, is showing good signs of improvement... "