Pedestrian Safety in the Los Serranos Community of Chino Hills
By: Thomas Davila
The city of Chino Hills works to complete sidewalk construction more than 30 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act is passed
Chino Hills became its own city a year and half after the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted by President George H. W. Bush in July, 1990. The City of Chino Hills, population 82,661, is located approximately 35 miles East of Los Angeles in Southern California. Before becoming incorporated on December 1, 1991, Chino Hills was a part of Chino.
Chino Hills borders Brea, Chino, and Diamond Bar. The city of Chino Hills grew rapidly into what it is today, with its many shopping outlets, eateries and new tracks of homes. There is one community of Chino Hills that city officials had seemed to have forgotten about: that is, until a group of Chino Hills residents spoke out at a city council meeting regarding an incident that occurred in late 2010.
A man by the name of Hector Coya, who lived in Lake Los Serranos, which is a mobile home community for the elderly, was struck and killed in his electric wheelchair. Coya was traveling northbound on Pipeline Ave. at night in Chino Hills. The side in which Mr. Coya was traveling was poorly lit and lacked an accessible sidewalk for him to use. He had no other alternative but to ride in the street until reaching his destination, where he was fatally struck by an incoming vehicle.
According to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), there were 15 reported cases of a pedestrian being injured or killed in Chino Hills. Josh Thompson of the Chino Hills Champion, the local newspaper in the city of Chino Hills, reported in 2021 that the Chino Hills Police Department had investigated two injury accidents that involved either a bicyclist or a pedestrian.
After the incident that took the life of Mr. Coya occurred, it took city officials years to attempt to solve the issues that were brought forth by several people in the mobile home and Los Serranos Communities. That is when the city initiated the “Safe Routes to School” project. This project involves installing curbs, gutters, sidewalks and streetlights throughout the Los Serranos community. There are two sections of Serranos, referred to as lower and upper Los Serranos. The city has already completed installing sidewalks and gutters throughout the lower portion of Los Serranos and has a few more sections of the upper portion to complete.
Chino Hills spent approximately $866,873 on this latest round of construction, which will include a section of three streets: Gird Avenue, Lugo Avenue and El Molino Boulevard. The city decided to construct a sidewalk on Valle Vista as well as the streets above because there is an alternative learning center that is nearby on Valle Vista Drive and Pipeline Avenue.
Since this project initially began, the city of Chino Hills has spent more than $20 million on improvements, which includes storm drains, sidewalks and streetlights throughout the Los Serranos community.
This community in addition to the Los Serranos Goff Course, were constructed in the 1920’s. Sidewalks, streetlights and storm drains were not required or needed as much as they are today for safety concerns.
According to the City of Chino Hills' official website, the Safe Routes to School started its latest scope of work in the middle of March 2022 which includes a section of sidewalk alongside Gird Avenue, Lugo Avenue and El Molino Boulevard and is expected to be completed by sometime in July 2022.