Hoover High area in Fresno getting ‘long needed’ upgrade for pedestrian safety
A new crosswalk and eventual traffic light amid a busy street in northeast Fresno aims to improve pedestrian safety.
Especially for children in the Hoover High area walking from the nearby neighborhoods to attend Wolters and Robinson elementary schools, Ahwahnee Middle School and Hoover.
The ongoing improvements are taking place along Barstow Avenue at Bond Street, close to the eastern border of the Hoover campus.
The new crosswalk looks to help pedestrians cross Barstow, which is four lanes wide and has a posted speed limit of 40 mph.
“I would say that it’s long needed,” said Hoover-area resident Jonathan Madsen, who was walking along Barstow on Friday morning to get to work. “I see people all the time crossing over (Barstow) wherever they want.
“Cars are going fast. I think the light (at Bond) is going to be a good thing. It’ll allow kids to safely go across the street.”
While stop lights for the Barstow/Bond traffic signal project have been installed in recent weeks, the lights have not yet been activated.
The city has been making changes to the intersection since June 2025, with upgrades including:
- ADA curb ramps
- Additional accessible pedestrian signals
- High visibility crosswalks
- Dedicated pedestrian phasing
- Bicycle detection
- Streetlights to increase nighttime visibility
For years, the crosswalk was simply marked yellow at the intersection.
Then stop signs were installed in both directions of Barstow near Bond late last year.
During this winter, the city painted part of the intersection bright green, as part of the newer Class IV bicycle project that’s also been taking place along Barstow Avenue.
The bike lanes along Barstow have been in place for roughly a year.
“This is a long street, and it’s a wide street,” said an elderly man who lives nearby but declined to give his name. “I’ve seen several accidents.
“People go too fast on this road. When you get in this zone now, you know to take it easy. It’s green. There’s a stop sign. Pretty soon, it’ll be a stop light.
“Drivers need to slow down,” the man added, “realize things are changing on Barstow and adjust.”
Cost of the Barstow/Bond traffic signal project is roughly $1.8 million, with funding obtained around 2021-22 from a competitive grant for the Federal Surface Transportation Block Grant program (STBG), according to the city.
In December 2022, a Hoover High student was struck and eventually died while trying to cross First Street, just north of Barstow — roughly a 1/4-mile distance from the Barstow/Bond traffic signal project.
This story was originally published February 7, 2026 at 5:30 AM.
