BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — In the City of Bakersfield, there are many intersections where, without a crosswalk, pedestrians end up taking their chances with traffic. For many, crossing at unmarked intersections is the only viable way to get around, and with state law changing in 2022 to make such crossings legal, they're still very dangerous for pedestrians.
Domenic Leonoah, who regularly rides his bicycle down Chester Avenue between Brundage and Truxtun Avenues in Bakersfield, says he's almost been hit by drivers multiple times, despite using the clearly marked bike lane.
"I had this one time I was biking in the bike lane and this dude… he was turning into the car wash and he almost hit me," said Leonoah. "He was on the bike trail."
On July 3, the city announced that it had been granted $10 million by the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve and beautify the stretch of Chester between Truxtun and Brundage, and according to Bakersfield City Councilmember for Ward 2 Andrae Gonzales, the main goal of the project will be to make the road safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Bakersfield City Councilmember for Ward 2 Andrae Gonzales says the
"We want to make sure that this is a safer environment for walkers and for bicyclists, and part of that is enhancements, including sidewalks," said Gonzales.
At many Bakersfield intersections, there is no safe pedestrian crossing or stoplight, and people are forced to choose between taking their chances with a 5-lane stroad or walking a half-mile out of their way to get to a crosswalk and another on their way back.
For many residents, including the elderly and those with disabilities, especially during periods of excessive heat, walking a mile out of their way just to access the things near their home is not an option.
"If there's a grocery store on one side and a bus stop on the other, it's important for us to have those protected crosswalks so that individuals can cross safely," said Gonzales.
Felipe Torres, owner of the Big Shoe Repair on Chester, says he often sees reckless driving, and he thinks installing a median would be a good idea.
"Every day you can see on the concrete skid marks of the cars, how they take off fast, they make a turn fast, they make U-turns fast," said Torres. "So it's very dangerous over here."
Torres says he has personally been impacted by reckless driving on Chester Avenue. In February, a driver crashed their car into the iconic boot-shaped building where he runs his shoe repair.
In addition to street safety improvements, Torres says he also hopes the city will make improvements to the sidewalks.
"Fixing the sidewalks. Not these patches," Torres said, indicating the asphalt patches that dot Bakersfield's sidewalks. "Better job than this, I hope."
Torres likes the idea of the road getting a revamp, saying he feels it is an area that doesn't get a lot of attention from the city.
"I'd like to see this part of town better. There's a lot of trash everywhere, and I really don't see the sweeping machines over here often," said Torres.
Construction on this part of the Chester Corridor is planned to start sometime in the spring of 2024 and is estimated to take 5 months to complete.
As for cyclist Domenic Leonoah, he says he mainly rides his bike on the sidewalks when he has to ride down Chester, saying he feels uncomfortable on the street, even in the bike lanes. He hopes the project will address this.
"Widening the road and widening the bike lanes. That way, bikers can actually go through instead of going on the sidewalk, and not being in the bike lane feeling like they're almost getting hit."
