St. John Eudes staff expresses concerns over student safety due to dangerous intersection near campus

School officials at a Chatsworth high school are continuing to call for changes on the street outside of their campus, claiming that the safety of the student body is put at risk by the highly dangerous intersection. 

After putting in a request to have a new traffic signal installed at the intersection about three years ago, St. John Eudes Catholic School leaders finally received approval last year. However, in the days since, nothing has happened as city leaders continue to try and allocate the necessary funding. 

"I didn't realize it would take this long. I was told that getting the approval is the easy part and now the funding is the hard part," said Aileen Vasquez, Vice Principal at the school.  

In the time since the approval, there have been numerous traffic incidents, likely as cars attempt to make a lefthand turn without the assistance of a lefthand turn signal, which would stop oncoming traffic at the intersection in question — Mason St. and Lassen St. 

Data shows that between March 2019 and August 2020, there were at least 12 collisions at the intersection, almost all labeled as broadside crashes, resulting in more than two dozen injuries. 

According to Chatsworth city officials, the project could cost up to $100,000. Parents of the students at the school think that's well worth it to protect their children. 

"I saw a car come up on our property at one point, a vehicle pushed up on our sidewalk," said Lucy Macias, a parent of a St. John student. "So, it's just scary because what if the kids are out or what if they're walking out there, or just driving to school you don't want to get into an accident."

Even those living on the intersection are ready for a change, including Julian Tan, who had to resort to installing cement safety bollards in his front yard to prevent cars from driving into his home. 

Just months after installing the bollards, another crash occurred, causing one of the cars to veer into Tan's front yard yet again. He said the cement posts "saved the car from going into my living room."

The woman behind the wheel during that crash, Mary Ellen Pike, said she's all for a lefthand turn signal being installed at the dangerous intersection after her horrifying experience. She was traveling through the area when another car made a sudden lefthand turn in front of her, causing the collision. 

"I believe that if there was a left-hand turn arrow, this whole thing would not have happened," she said. 

The Los Angeles Department of Traffic said that they're ready to install the signal, as soon as city leaders have allocated the funds, which isn't as easy as it sounds, according to the office of Los Angeles City Councilman John Lee.

"Our office is aware that the installation of left turn signal phasing at this intersection is on the City's list of unfunded projects. We are always looking for ways to address projects on this list within the confines of the City's limited financial resources."