Monday, Jun. 08, 2009
City reducing crossing guards
Kevin Wright
staff writer
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ReprintThe city will reduce the number of guards helping children cross the street next school year.
Its not for the lack of funding, but for the lack of children using certain crosswalks that is causing the city to take action.
In 2005, the Olathe City Council awarded a contract to Securitas Inc., for school crossing guard services for two school years. In 2007, the council continued that contract for another two years.
As the contract came up for renewal this year, the Olathe Police Department and Public Works Traffic Division found 10 crossings that no longer meet the criteria for a crossing guard.
Some of the crossings have less than three elementary students crossing per day. Those crossings include:
* Arbor Creek Elementary School 161st Terrace and Summertree Lane
* Black Bob Elementary 146th Terrace west of Blackfoot Street
* Briarwood Elementary 139th Street and Black Bob Road and 143rd Street and Brougham, north crossing
* Havencroft Elementary 143rd Street (Sheridan) and Lindenwood
* Heritage Elementary Ridgeview Road and Sheridan Bridge Lane
* Mahaffie Elementary 125th Street and Nelson Road
* Northview Elementary Walker and Northview streets
* Sunnyside Elementary 159th Street and Lindenwood, north crossing
* Tomahawk Elementary 139th Street and Brougham Drive
As the contract came before the Tuesday, Councilman John Bacon questioned whether the crossing at 139th Street and Black Bob Road was still viable.
The busy traffic there concerned him, and he said the city should keep it open.
It can be a little bit crazy in the morning (on) Black Bob, Bacon said.
He asked Tom Peterson, a city traffic engineer, whether a crossing guard could split duties between two crosswalks, working a few minutes at the crossing with less pedestrians and then working the majority of the time at the busy crossing.
Peterson said that would be difficult because guards cannot predict when students will arrive at the crossing each day. It would be more hazardous than closing the one crossing, he said.
Bacon agreed with the other nine closings, but hoped the crossing at 139th Street and Black Bob Road could remain open. Despite his misgivings, Bacon and the entire council approved the Securitas contract for another two years at $255,957.20 for the 2009-10 school year and $254,927.88 for 2010-11.
In other action, the council:
* Honored Byron Stoltzfus for more than eight years of volunteer service on the Olathe Citizens Police Advisory Council and volunteer work in the police department. Having served the maximum number of years, he was not eligible for reappointment to the council.
* Honored Ed and Judy Colson with a Community Pride Award for their many contributions to the Olathe community in the areas of music and education. The Colsons taught for a combined total of 67 years, touching the lives of thousands of students in the Olathe school district.