A woman who was critically injured when she was struck by a car last month in a Westlake Boulevard crosswalk brought attention to the need for road safety improvements.

Argelia Rojas, 49, still hospitalized at Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center, was crossing the street with her nephew, Mitchell, 2, to pick up another child after school.

Thousand Oaks and Caltrans met with a group of about 40 people last week at Westlake Elementary School to discuss what can be done to make crossing the nearby street safer. Representatives from the City Council, the police department, fire department, school district and traffic commission were also in attendance.

Caltrans, responsible for the boulevard because that segment is a state highway, agreed to add more brightly painted signs and repaint the crosswalk. Nearby speed signs will also be analyzed to see if placing them elsewhere will work.

Also, police are patrolling the area, watching to see if cars are respecting pedestrians.

A "smart crosswalk" with lights on the crosswalk pavement area, such as one on Hillcrest Drive in front of Colina Middle School, could also be considered, said director of public works Mark Watkins.

Other areas have already been targeted for road safety improvements. The city will apply for about $700,000 in grant money from the state's Safe Routes to School program to pay for about 600 feet of sidewalk needed on the east side of Westlake Boulevard from Devonshire Avenue to East Potrero Road, where the road narrows and there's a signal light for safer crossing.

That sidewalk would cost about $250,000, said Kathy Lowry, city bicyclist and pedestrian coordinator.

Also included in the grant request will be money that would fund improvements on Erbes Road near Hillcrest Drive, and possibly for a sidewalk on Los Feliz Drive, Lowry said.