Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In

A group calling themselves "Citizens for a Safer Tacoma" has painted five crosswalks around the city, in hopes of pressing officials to take pedestrian safety more seriously.

The city of Tacoma, meanwhile, has reacted defensively, threatening to prosecute the group, according to King 5 News. Kurtis Kingsolver, interim public works director, complained to the television station that it costs the city $1,000 each to remove the guerrilla crosswalks and that they create a safety concern. Apparently rising traffic fatalities and citizen complaints are not enough to compel the city to improveconditions for walking. He said the city must consider things like sightlines, street width, and traffic volumes before installing a crosswalk.

Members of "Citizens for a Safer Tacoma" say they are responding to an increase in traffic collisions. With 15 of their members having been hit by cars, they say they tried to get the city to help, but were turned away.

The threat of arrest isn't deterring them. “If the city does nothing, we will,” an anonymous spokesman for the group told the television station. “None of us want to go to jail, but we’re more dedicated to the safety of citizens than we are to the law."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

Eyes on the Street: New Rail-Type Gates on Metro G Line Busway

G Line bus riders have probably seen the new rail-type gates installed at Hayvenhurst Avenue in the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area

August 25, 2025

Sunday Morning: A Memorial Roll Out for 12yo Michael Smith, Killed in a Violent Hit-and-Run Last Month in South L.A.

Join the East Side Riders, SAFE, Faith for SAFE Streets, and members of Michael Smith's family for breakfast, a ghost tire installation, and a memorial ride honoring Michael's life and calling for change.

August 23, 2025

L.A. City Closes Huge Slip Lane in Hollywood

What could that big empty asphalt triangle become in the future?

August 22, 2025
See all posts