About the TAC
Working to Promote Traffic Safety and Sustainable Transportation at WHS
Founded in January 2023 by Amelie Arango
"If you ask any student, teacher, or parent, they will tell you that getting to Westmont is much more difficult than it should be," Amelie Arango explains in an interview withThe Shield.
In January of her senior year, Arango founded the TAC to address traffic safety concerns at Westmont High School. Meeting bi-weekly with advisor Chris Mock, the TAC started with gathering community input about different problem areas: crosswalks, stop signs, speeding. Additionally, Arango reached out to the City of San Jose's Walk N' Roll Program, whose members have provided fundamental contributions over the TAC's lifetime.
New LED Stop Sign and Limit Lines!
Reaching to out to the city, Arango advocated for improvements to be made at the intersection of Westmont and Harriet Avenue. Officials responded, and that spring, the city painted new limit lines and installed a flashing LED stop sign to attract the attention of drivers.
Berkeley SafeTREC and Cal Walks
Arango then reached out to Berkeley SafeTREC (Safe Transportation Research and Education Center), an affiliation of UC Berkeley who worked with the TAC to host a Community Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Training (CPBST) Workshop in May 2023.
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During the workshop, the group examined two routes surrounding the Westmont area, pointing out problem areas and discussing methods to improve infrastructure. With this information, Berkeley SafeTREC developed a recommendation report for Westmont High School.
2023 to 2024
Following Arango's graduation, senior Faith Gonia became President of the TAC, with new advisors Eric Buran and Paula Smith.
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In October 2023, the TAC produced its first educational video for students and parents! Encouraging traffic safety for all community members, Gonia and Olivia D'Antona discussed strategies for pedestrians, cyclists, student drivers, and parent drivers.
Slow Down, San José
In November 2024, CUHSD and the TAC worked with the City of San Jose to host a Kick-off event for their Slow Down, San José campaign.
Slow Down, San José was launched by Vision Zero: aiming for zero traffic fatalities.
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Joined by Council-member Pam Foley, participants listened to several speakers and then signed a pledge to drive the speed limit.
New Parking Lot Signs
Responding to feedback from parents regarding the unclear parking lot entrances, the TAC worked with Principal Miller and CUHSD to install signs which label each parking lot entrance.
"Alert Eyes Save Lives" Mural
In March of 2024, the TAC painted a mural beside the bike racks on campus!
