The ‘Fatal 15': Public safety advocates ID San Diego's most dangerous intersections

Advocates called on the city of San Diego on Monday to fund improvements at what they identified as the 15 most dangerous intersections across the city.

Groups including Circulate San Diego and Families for Safe Streets San Diego gathered at the intersection of Rosecrans and Moore streets to make their case, with the backdrop of pedestrians crossing five lanes as cars zoomed by.

“You can see behind me people having to cross an unmarked street,” said Will Moore, policy counsel at Circulate San Diego. “There's about a quarter-mile between the two intersections. There’s about 45 mile-per-hour traffic. This is the sort of situation that is endemic throughout San Diego.”

Moore was among those asking San Diego to prioritize fixes for what they’re calling the Fatal 15.

The intersections they identified as the most dangerous are:

• Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and Doliva Drive
• Rosecrans and Moore streets
• University Avenue and Alabama Street
• Federal Boulevard and Euclid Avenue
• Mira Mesa Boulevard and Black Mountain Road
• Mira Mesa Boulevard and Aderman Avenue
• Westview Parkway and Mira Mesa Blvd
• Palm Avenue and 16th Street
• Imperial Avenue and 26th Street
• Market Street and 19th Street
• University Avenue and 44th Street
• University and College avenues
• El Cajon Boulevard and 46th Street
• El Cajon Boulevard and Altadena Avenue
• El Cajon Boulevard and 60th Street

Advocates are asking city leaders to make room in the city budget for striped crosswalks and countdown signals with audible prompts at each intersection to improve safety, noting that while some of the intersections have some of these installed, all of them lack at least one. Circulate San Diego said the estimated cost to implement all three of these at each location would be $100,000 apiece, for a total of $1.5 million.

“These are inexpensive fixes that save lives, and that’s where you start when you’re in a tight budget year,” Moore said.

In a statement, Mayor Todd Gloria’s office said he “shares the same goal in ensuring our transportation system prioritizes safety.”

Gloria’s office said the city has received millions of dollars in grants for safety improvements and is “making strategic, data-driven decisions to make our streets safer.”

The 15 intersections are under evaluation for daylighting, which prohibits cars from parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk to increase visibility, the mayor’s office said, adding that other safety upgrades like new signals and streetlights, among others, are already in progress at some of the intersections identified.

For Katie Gordon, the plea is personal. Her husband, Jason Gordon, was killed at one of the intersections on Jan. 19, 2020.

“My husband [was] just fun-loving, you know, a people person, easygoing guy,” Gordon said. “Loved life and, you know, was just an all-around great guy.”

Gordon said her husband was walking home when he was hit by a car near the intersection of Market and 19th streets. His death came just weeks after they celebrated the first birthday of their twin daughters, Malea and Makayla.

“My husband was there every feeding and caring for the girls, and so we went from, you know, a solid family structure to just a solo mom,” Gordon said.

Through her grief, she is now pushing for change.

“This is really hard," Gordon said. "It evokes emotion, but I want to advocate for others so that people don’t have to feel the same way I do right now.

Gordon added that she felt compelled to speak out for her daughters: “I don't want anyone else to lose their dad.”