Dear Members of the City Council,

My name is Hector Valdez, and I am in ninth grade at Ridgeview High School. I am writing to ask you to put a crosswalk with a flashing signal on Mesquite Road in front of Ridgeview Park.

Every afternoon, dozens of students cross Mesquite Road to get from school to the park, where many of us have soccer practice or wait for rides. The nearest crosswalk is at Oak Street, almost half a mile away. Almost nobody walks that far. Instead, students wait for a gap in traffic and run across four lanes.

Last month, my friends and I counted cars on Mesquite Road between 3:30 and 4:30 on five school days. We counted more than 400 cars an hour. On one afternoon alone, we saw students run between moving cars eleven times.

Some people say students should just walk to Oak Street. I agree that it would be safer. But people choose the shortest path, especially when they are carrying heavy backpacks and are late for practice. A rule that people do not follow does not protect anyone. A crosswalk where students actually cross would.

I understand that the city has a limited budget. But a crosswalk is a one-time cost, and hundreds of students would use it every week for years.

Please visit Mesquite Road on a school afternoon and see for yourselves. I would be glad to show you where we cross.

Sincerely, Héctor Valdez