It has been years and to date, efforts to have the white lines designating a crosswalk painted in front of the Pardes Katz Senior Citizens Center have fallen on deaf ears.

The geriatric center, which provides many recreational services for the area’s elderly, is situated on Route 652, one of the heaviest traveled roadways in the city. Despite pleas to City Hall, Maatz road works company, and the Ministry of Transportation, the elderly are compelled to navigate their way through the deadly maze of cars and trucks to cross the street from the bus stop.

Amazingly, there is no crosswalk within any reasonable distance of the bus stop, which is opposite the center, and the elderly face the harsh realities of oncoming traffic daily.

In 2005, then Transportation Minister Sheetrit promised to take care of the problem. Today’s minister, Shaul Mofaz, has been just as forthcoming during his tenure in office. City Hall explains Maatz must deal with it and Maatz explains it is awaiting a Transportation Ministry permit.

Amazingly, the elderly are dealing with the problem which does not demand tearing up a street to run electric for a street light, not even a pole and a sign, but some plain old white paint to mark the areas as a designated crosswalk.

When contacted, officials in the Ministry of Transportation stated they are trying to get a budget to complete the project.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)