CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A London-area father is raising alarms about pedestrian safety near a crosswalk children use every day — and his concerns became personal when his daughter was struck by a car just days after he filed a formal safety request with the city.
Matt Galvin says drivers routinely speed through the crosswalk at Excelsior and Lady Claudia, where children walk to and from school each morning and afternoon.
"This area, right here, is a very high traffic area for children, both morning, afternoon," Galvin said.
He says one side of the crosswalk has a yield sign for pedestrians, while the other side has no signage at all. He adds that even the signs that are in place do little to slow drivers down.
"The cars that come in and out of this area, they don't recognize children, they don't recognize stop signs or yield signs, so they just floor it. Their goal is to race and get past before they gotta wait for the kids," Galvin said.
Galvin filed a formal request with city public works for a pedestrian safety study at Excelsior and Lady Claudia, flagging drivers who failed to yield to children at the crosswalk during school arrival and dismissal. Two days later, his daughter was hit by a car at that same location.
"My daughter got hit right over here, the other day, about two days after I put a request in for a safety evaluation of this area. An Uber driver came by and hit her its just not a safe area," Galvin said.
The safety concerns extend beyond that single crosswalk. County Road 33 has no sidewalks for half a mile, yet high school runners share the road daily with semi-trucks and school buses.
"That's a very heavy, uh, traveled road with semi trucks, buses going counter-ways. Um, there's, there's really no room for error for drivers at all and children," Galvin said.
With new developments going in throughout the area, more residents are expected to increase foot traffic and the potential for danger.
The city says it is preparing an application for state grant funding next year that would add sidewalks, lighting, and ADA improvements along the road. Any improvements beyond that would depend on a future bond project.
For Galvin, the ask is straightforward.
"The only thing I want is safety. I want the kids to go to and from school without having fear of getting hit by a car. I want families and parents to be able to know that their children are walking to school, and this town cares about their kids," Galvin said.
I will continue following this story to track what changes are made.
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