The Las Vegas City Council is moving forward with plans to expand its school crossing guard program. During a recent council meeting, staff were directed to prepare a proposal to allocate an additional $415,000 annually to the program, which currently operates on a $2.87 million budget and supports 287 crossing guards at 72 elementary schools.
According to a report by the city, the expansion aims to add crossing guards at 16 middle schools. While the recruitment process is underway, the new guards are not expected to be in place before the start of the school year. The initial focus will be on areas with the highest traffic concerns surrounding the selected schools. The measure is part of the city's broader effort to improve pedestrian safety for students.
Joining an initiative that kicked off last November and sailed through May as a pilot program were Cimarron-Memorial High School and Gibson Middle School. They served as test beds to measure the viability of stationing crossing guards at these higher education levels. Feedback from surveys and traffic data during this period painted a picture of improved law adherence and pedestrian comfort when guards were on the watch, laying the groundwork for the expansion.
The success of the pilot has spurred the city to keep the initiative afloat at Cimarron-Memorial High School and to branch out to Arbor View and Palo Verde High Schools. These new additions were pinned on the map due to a spike in the number of traffic incidents in these areas. As reported by the City of Las Vegas bulletin, pedestrians "felt more comfortable when crossing guards were present." These schools will join the ranks and benefit from the crossing guard program, hopefully leading to a safer commute for their students.
Fresh paint and signage won't be missing out on the safety blitz either. Las Vegas promises to keep its school zones clearly marked with routine maintenance during the sweltering summer and beyond. Residents can flag any road safety concerns through the city's website or by making a call to their hotline at 702.229.6331, ensuring that reports of danger don't hit a dead end.
