The Cupertino Courier

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Bike accidents near schools create big concerns

By HUGH BIGGAR

By most accounts, a free-for-all of bicycles, cars and pedestrians exists near Kennedy Middle School in Cupertino.

During school start and stop times, the school zones at Kennedy and nearby Monta Vista High School and Lincoln Elementary are busy with the parents in vehicles picking up and dropping off students. At the same time, there are other students on bicycles and on foot.

There have been several bicycle and car accidents since the start of the school year in late August.

"I hear a lot of stories of near misses," says Diana Pappas, a nearby resident and parent of children in the schools. She listed more than five incidents since the beginning of September. The incidents include a child hit on Bubb Road near the UC-Santa Cruz extension building and a hit-and-run on Sept. 20.

So far none of the accidents has caused serious injury.

"My fear is something horrible will happen, and that's what will get people's attention," said Linda Orvick, who lives in the Creston community along Foothill Expressway. Orvick, who has children at Kennedy Middle School and Monta Vista High School, said she had been told of the five accidents and was not surprised.

"People are distracted talking on cell phones and not taking enough care while driving in a school district," Orvick said, adding she had seen people parking in red zones and jaywalking."

Russ Ottey, principal at Kennedy Middle School, said such problems are not new.

"It's always a concern, and we're working with the sheriff's department on it," he said. Ottey also said it has been so long since the school district has used buses--dropped for budgetary reasons--he is not sure if their absence contributes to safety issues.

Ottey said Kennedy's staff teaches bicycle safety and also tries to enforce it.

"We have an assistant principal watching the Hyannisport exit when the school day ends," he said. "If I'm not in a meeting, I watch the crosswalk near the bike cage to make sure the students are using bike safety and riding with the flow of traffic," Ottey said.

Both Pappas and Orvick also said drivers could be more cautious.

"Everybody thinks 'it doesn't apply to me,'" Pappas said, "but people need to be more careful about doing the right thing."

"I'm flabbergasted people would put their own agenda ahead of kids' safety," Orvick said, suggesting police could issue more tickets as a way of ensuring drivers' attention.

Pappas said she tells her children to walk their bikes in crosswalks, to make eye contact with drivers and to not assume vehicles always see them.

"I know it's not always the driver's fault, but as parents we are the ones that need be aware," she said.

Ottey said he had restructured the traffic flow in one of his parking lots and moved an exit that emptied near a street stop sign to help alleviate the vehicle crunch--a move that seems to be working.

"It would also help if parents call and let me know about certain intersections that need monitoring," he said.