This shouldn’t be a fight. Improving Cobb school crosswalk should be easy.

Parenting today is already heavy, with rising costs, mental health strains and safety fears that are bigger than traffic infrastructure. But this problem? It’s visible, it’s fixable, and it’s within our control.

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

The stakes are higher than one intersection

Following our outreach, Commissioner JoAnn Birrell responded promptly and sincerely. She assured us: “Please rest assured this is a top priority for all of us at the county level. Cobb DOT is looking into signage that we can have installed asap for short-term solutions and also considering long-term improvements that may take a longer time frame. A traffic study will be conducted once school is back in session so that we have accurate counts.”

Cobb DOT conducted an on-site inspection immediately and, within the week, installed speed gauges for both directions of traffic, all of which is a positive first acknowledgment. (Birrell told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution a speed sentry has been placed at the school near the intersection where the accident occurred, and the ideas presented in the petition are under consideration.) Still, we must be honest about how much more is needed, and fast.

We are calling for:

1. Immediate installation of flashing signage and pedestrian visibility aids

2. Traffic calming tools, like cones or pedestrian crossing road signage, while permanent infrastructure is assessed

3. Reduced speed limit year-round (currently at 45 mph)

4. Additional crosswalk to cover both sides of the school

5. Public clarity on the traffic study timeline, its methodology and when results will be shared for public stakeholder contribution

6. A clear budget commitment in 2025 to prioritize safe school crossings

Poor infrastructure impacts all communities

Let’s also speak plainly: This is a well-off area. In east Cobb, many families, my own included, have the means to adjust our schedules or transportation methods to mitigate the risks we see. We can drive our kids when we don’t feel safe letting them walk. We can work remotely when a delay disrupts the day.

But this is not the case for many families across Cobb County and beyond. Poor infrastructure isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a matter of survival. In under-resourced communities, where public transit is vital and cars are a luxury, dangerous street design can be fatal. An insufficient crosswalk isn’t just a flaw in design; it’s a failure of prioritization.

When we call for pedestrian safety in more affluent areas, it must come with the awareness that we are, in many ways, the lucky ones. Let’s leverage that privilege by not accepting silence, stagnation, or slow processes that could easily become normalized elsewhere.

Bureaucracy creates a bottleneck to safety

In the private sector, we would never tolerate a monthslong delay to address a safety hazard affecting hundreds of stakeholders, particularly when children are involved. Yet in local government, these delays seem almost baked in. In the corporate world, tools like hyper care protocols, steering committees and war rooms are deployed to bulldoze through bureaucracy and drive rapid, agile responses, so why aren’t similar approaches used when children’s safety is at stake?

I have deep respect for the checks and balances that ensure due diligence. But I also believe we’re capable of moving with urgency and integrity.

Proactive communication with set expectations should be a baseline strategy for any project, especially with a strong presence of community stakeholders. I am hopeful that our voices will continue to be heard and that our leadership will match the momentum this community has shown. A safe school zone crosswalk should not require a crisis.

Courtney Chiang DiStefano is a Cobb County parent with generational roots in the county and an active community member advocating for pedestrian safety.