A Sign for Our Times

Kyler Jerome learned a valuable lesson in civics over the past few months and it has led to an important change at the intersection of Howard Street and Alameda de las Pulgas in San Carlos.

His efforts have also landed him a position on the Transportation Commission.

The most impressive fact in Jerome's dealings with the city of San Carlos? He's 12 years old.

Jerome spent the past nine months working to obtain a better, clearer sign indicating the pedestrian walkway at the busy intersection. Now he'd like to see the actual crosswalk get an overhaul so that it can be seen by drivers.
Jerome took the matter to the city after almost being hit twice.

He still wants to bring more awareness to drivers who frequent the area to slow down and follow California state law as required in the Vehicle Code Section 21950 (a) The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection . . . (c) The driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian within any marked or unmarked crosswalk shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of the vehicle or take any other action relating to the operation of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian.

The process was drawn out, and still the seventh-grader to be at Central Middle School continued to rally support for the project. It all came to fruition when the city erected a neon yellow pedestrian sign on both sides of the Alameda approaching Howard.

He's not finished though. Jerome remains committed to getting a new paint job for the crosswalk. He's already shown what perseverance and determination can accomplish, so why stop now?

A study done by the National Center for Education Statistics showed that high school seniors scored lower on a national civics test in 2010 than they did in 2006. With the help of young students, like Kyler Jerome, perhaps those scores will rise again.

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