Though this is old news, it is very important news, and worth pointing to.

A SacBee article ‘Undeniable’ Del Campo High School students help solve road problems, county says, May 8, 2026, Madison Smalstig, details the efforts of teachers and students at Del Campo High School in Carmichael to plan and advocate for improved safety on Dewey Drive, which fronts the high school, and Will Rogers Middle School across the street. An earlier SacBee article At a Sacramento-area school, students learn to question dangerous roads — and change them detailed the beginning of the student and teacher process.

The school club used the Strong Towns Crash Analysis Studio process to look at the issues and solutions in depth.

Dewey is a high speed, very wide road, that is empty much of the day, but extremely congested during school arrival and dismissal times. Though there is a signal at the school entry/exit, with pedestrian signals, those previous improvements have not made the street safe or comfortable for anyone. More needs to be done, and the students came up with a plan, working with county transportation staff, to calm traffic and make crossing safer and more welcoming. The county will apply for a grant to implement the plan.

I was the Safe Routes to School Coordinator for San Juan Unified for 10 years, and tried several times to interest the school in improvements, without success. It took motivated students, motivated teachers, and county staff enthusiastic about working with the school to make the difference. And the participation of the new Safe Routes to School Coordinator, Natalee Dyuduyk.