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Eyes on the Street: South El Monte’s Safe Routes to School Improvements

23 intersections near schools have been upgraded with high visibility striping, flashing beacons, raised pavement markers, repainted legends, and new signage.

By Chris Greenspon

12:24 PM PDT on April 23, 2026

Eyes on the Street: South El Monte’s Safe Routes to School Improvements

A crossing guard assists a family at Santa Anita Avenue and Schmidt Road in South El Monte. All photos by Chris Greenspon/SBLA.

Three years ago, South El Monte undertook a series of Safe Routes to School infrastructure improvements around the nine schools in the city.

The city was granted about $1.6 million in state funds (CA Active Transportation Program [ATP] Cycle 5) to rehab 44 crosswalks. Streetsblog recently checked in on them, and it seems the money was well used. See the complete set of intersection designs here (page 77).

Several of the schools in town sit along busy industrial corridors, and the facelifts for these crossings feel very necessary. Cogswell Elementary, for instance, is set back in a cul-de-sac from a rough part of Tyler Avenue where truckers might not be expecting children to emerge. Miramonte Elementary is on the regional arterial Santa Anita Avenue, and raised hurdles (strips akin to mini-speedbumps) prior to Schmidt Road are vital to getting drivers to slow down.

SBLA visited the improved crossings as two schools were letting out – New Temple Elementary and Miramonte Elementary – at 1pm and 2:35pm respectively, and a few other sites in between. Numerous crossing guards were stationed at the improved intersections by the school day’s end.

Cogswell Road and Central Avenue in front of New Temple Elementary.

Tyler Avenue and Fineview Street, a short distance from Cogswell Elementary School.

Central Avenue and Lerma Road, near Dean Shively Middle School, the South El Monte Community Center, the Senior Center, City Hall, the library, and the skate park.

Fern Street and Tamora Avenue, behind Potrero K-8 School.

Santa Anita Avenue approaching Schmidt Road and Miramonte Elementary.

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