City of Lawrence staff members have determined that seven intersections do not warrant permanent crossing guard positions for kids getting to school, and they will no longer have adult crossing guards starting Monday, Dec. 4.
The city has conducted a pilot program to determine whether crossing guards were needed at several intersections citywide, according to a Friday news release.
“As part of our commitment to safety, the city piloted adult crossing guards at key locations aligned with the 2023-2024 USD 497-adopted elementary school boundaries,” according to the release. “These temporary placements were strategically selected, considering the potential for increased street crossings for K-5 students due to boundary changes. Locations such as 6th St. & Folks Rd., 9th St. & Emery Rd., and other spots were closely monitored over 30-60 days to assess their effectiveness according to our School Area Traffic Control Policy.”
The intersections that will no longer have crossing guards are:
- Iowa and Clinton Parkway/23rd Street
- Iowa and 27th Street
- 6th Street and Folks Road
- 6th Street and Stoneridge Drive
- 23rd Street and Louisiana
- 9th Street and Emery
- 6th Street and Michigan
The city’s evaluation showed that zero children crossed at three of the pilot intersections, and at four others, fewer than five children crossed there daily, according to the release.
“The School Area Traffic Control Policy (SATCP) serves as our guiding beacon in establishing school zones, determining crossings, and placing adult crossing guards,” according to the release. The full policy is available at this link.
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Note: A date in this post has been corrected from a previous version.
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