The Piedmont Police Department reported that on Feb. 11 around 6 p.m. a juvenile was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Grand and Greenbank Avenues. Police say the driver fled the scene, traveling southbound in the wrong lane of traffic without stopping. On Wednesday the police said that the victim was in stable condition.
Police say they used the city’s Public Safety Camera System and Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras to identify the suspect vehicle, tracing it to San Leandro where the driver was located at his residence. Police arrested him and he was booked into Santa Rita Jail.
Residents who live in the area say that safety at the intersection of Grand and Greenbank has been a concern for years. In addition to this week’s incident, on Dec. 21, 2024, a single-car accident involving an overturned car at that intersection led to the DUI arrest of a driver.
The intersections of Grand/Linda and Grand/Greenbank were identified as two of the top ten priority locations for pedestrian safety enhancements in the city’s 2021 Safer Streets Plan. These intersections were prioritized based on proximity to a school, being on an arterial street, and being part of a bike/bus route, according to the city’s website.
The city said on Friday that the City Council approved a contract for pedestrian safety improvements at the Grand/Greenbank and Grand/Linda intersections on Jan. 21 and will be adding bulb-outs, flashing beacons, and high visibility crosswalk striping at both intersections. There will also be bicycle-specific enhancements at Grand and Linda. Construction is expected to begin in March, the city said in an email.
The city said it applied for Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) funding to support improvements at both intersections in 2022 and received a $500,000 grant for design and construction in 2023. Design was completed last year and they put the project out for bid in fall 2024.
Along with the safety improvements at Grand and Linda, the city said it will be repaving Grand Avenue, adding ADA compliant curb ramps at all street crossings, and installing the city’s first green infrastructure at Grand and Fairview.
In the aftermath of this week’s hit and run, the Exedra received a copy of a letter that 30+ families have signed and say they are planning to submit to City Council at their next meeting on Feb. 18.
We are writing to express our deep concern regarding pedestrian safety at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Greenbank in Piedmont. On February 11th, a freshman at Piedmont High School was struck by a vehicle at this intersection, and the driver fled the scene. This horrifying incident is not just an unfortunate accident—it is a stark reminder of the dangerous conditions that pedestrians face on Grand Avenue every day.
This intersection has long been recognized as a safety hazard and is included in the Piedmont Safer Streets Plan as well as the Grand Avenue Pedestrian Safety Project. Despite this acknowledgment, necessary improvements have not yet been implemented. The recent hit-and-run underscores the urgency of expediting these long-overdue changes.
As neighbors, parents, and friends of the person who was struck, we urge the City to take immediate action to implement the safety measures already planned for this intersection. Specifically, we ask that the City prioritize the installation of the bulb-outs, flashing beacons, and high-visibility crosswalk striping called for in the Grand Avenue Pedestrian Safety Project.
We should not have to wait for another tragedy before these critical safety improvements are made. The safety of Piedmont’s residents—especially its children—must be a top priority. We call on the City Council to take swift and decisive action to ensure that no other pedestrian falls victim to this preventable danger.
We want to praise the Piedmont Police and Fire Departments on their swift actions, investigation, and arrest of the suspect. We also urge you to give attention to this matter with a prompt response regarding the timeline for implementing these vital safety enhancements.
February 14 letter to the City Council from 20+ residents in the neighborhood