ANAHEIM : City Sees the Light on Pedestrian Signal

It used to be that Ruth Van Gilder would walk for her life as she crossed busy Knott Avenue to take her two little girls to and from the family’s apartment to Danbrook Elementary School.

The hectic traffic on the thoroughfare led parents living in the area to call the crosswalk leading to the school a “deathtrap,” and they asked the city to help them out.

Now, a little more than a year after their request, a pedestrian traffic signal stands where two yellow stripes once were the only guides residents had to help them cross the street.

“It’s wonderful,” said Van Gilder, who rallied a small group of residents to push City Hall for the traffic light. “I was really excited the day they put it in. I waited out there all afternoon. It (the light) was my baby and I wanted to be the first one to push the button and walk across.”

For her efforts, Van Gilder recently won a service award from the school.

The $40,000 signal is activated for about 45 seconds after a pedestrian pushes a button signaling intent to cross the street. It was one of about 70 signals on the city’s list, but it was pushed up to Top 10 priority last year after residents brought their concerns to the council.

Van Gilder said that while some drivers might run the signal, she is thankful that the residents’ lobbying campaign was successful.

“I’m so glad we have it now,” she said. “We waited a long time for that light.”