Halifax Regional Police is advising citizens that a number of intersections in HRM will not be staffed by Crossing Guards in the 2014-15 school year.

 

As part of our review process, we recently conducted an assessment of each intersection in HRM with a Crossing Guard to determine the ongoing requirement.  Each assessment, conducted on two separate clear days, considered a number of criteria including the volume of elementary students using each crosswalk when the Crossing Guard was present; volume and speed of vehicular traffic; geographical conditions of the location of the crosswalk; the presence or absence of traffic-controlled devices and/or signage, etc. 

 

Twenty-one intersections were identified as not meeting the criteria for the continued presence of a Crossing Guard. However, we’re maintaining a Crossing Guard at some of these intersections given the extremely high traffic counts, environmental conditions and/or other safety concerns.

 

As a result of the assessment, eight intersections will no longer be staffed with a Crossing Guard as of the 2014-15 school year. The intersections, and the corresponding elementary schools, are as follows:

 

Duffus & Agricola Streets, St. Stephen’s Elementary School, Halifax

Inglis & South Park Streets (currently vacant), Inglis Street Elementary School, Halifax

Flamingo Drive & Oriole Street, École Rockingham School, Halifax

Kearney Lake Road & Wedgewood Drive, École Grosvenor Wentworth Park School, Halifax

Mount Edward Road & Brigadoon Avenue, Mount Edward Elementary School, Dartmouth

Waverley Road & Montebello Drive, Michael Wallace Elementary School, Dartmouth

Colby & Delta Drives, Colby Village Elementary School, Cole Harbour

Riverside Drive & Candlewood Lane, Sycamore Lane Elementary School, Sackville

 

Outside of the scope of the assessment, there will no longer be a Crossing Guard at Pinehill Drive and George Street in Sackville due to the closure of Sackville Centennial Elementary.

 

We recognize that pedestrian safety is a key issue in our community. We also recognize that pedestrian and vehicular traffic can change based on a variety of factors. As such, we’re committed to assessing or reassessing any intersection to determine the need for a Crossing Guard; this can be arranged by contacting either HRP or your Councillor. HRP also assures citizens that in the event of new schools opening and/or schools amalgamating due to closures, we’ll be placing Crossing Guards at certain locations on a trial basis and conducting an assessment as to whether Crossing Guards are required full-time at these locations.

 

We value the services provided by our Crossing Guards and, through this assessment, are ensuring they’re in place where they’re most needed so they continue to enhance road safety and help keep our children safe. It’s simply not feasible to have a Crossing Guard at every intersection throughout the municipality which is why we conduct regular assessments.

 

We ask parents to be ever vigilant in teaching your children about road safety, including crosswalk safety. This will be particularly important with the return to school in the fall.

 

Source: Release