Van Ness Avenue in the Fresno High neighborhood is one of the most walkable streets in Fresno, but also the scene of violent multiple car collisions and fatalities.

Now, Councilmember Annalisa Perea is collaborating with city and state officials and the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad in a bid to make the intersections of Van Ness at Shields Avenue and at Clinton Avenue safer for pedestrians and drivers.

The move follows multiple tragedies at both intersections.

In 2020, a 5-year-old boy died after he was struck by a train on Shields while he waited with his family in a minivan to drive through nearby Christmas Tree Lane on Van Ness.

In February, bicyclist Paul Sanchez, 33, was killed when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver at Van Ness and Clinton.

Making the intersections safer includes a personal element for Perea, whose family members are long-time residents of the area.

“We walk it and drive it every day,” she said.

Perea herself was recently injured at Shields and Van Ness while on a ride-along with a Fresno police officer.

A drunk driver rear-ended a car behind the patrol car and Perea was hurt when that vehicle slammed into the police vehicle. She suffered whiplash.

“Luckily, there were no pedestrians in the crosswalk,” said Perea, who noted every weekend multiple pedestrians cross busy Shields on the way to Gazebo Gardens for an evening of music and dinner at food trucks.

Safety improvement plans at Van Ness intersections

In a recent letter to residents of her Council District 1, Perea summarized the planned safety improvements for both intersections.

For the Shields intersection, she outlined $4 million in safety enhancements that include sidewalk and bike path improvements, traffic signal modifications and railroad warning devices.

The city is working with BNSF and the state Public Utility Commission in what Perea hopes will be a fully funded project after traffic studies are completed.

For the Clinton intersection, plans outline $1.2 million for improved pedestrian lighting, more highly visible crosswalks, larger traffic signal heads, and possibly traffic signal synchronization that would help mitigate red light and speeding violations.

Another possibility she suggested would be installing radar-enabled signs that alert drivers when they are speeding.

The Clinton intersection improvements, largely the result of a traffic safety assessment launched in June 2023, are not yet funded, but Perea said getting money to make the changes is one of her priorities in 2024.

She added that drivers play as large a role as any safety improvements.

“Decisions you make behind the wheel,” she said, “are permanent.”