Common Council

Madison K-12 Students are Heading Back to School. Watch Out for Crossing Guards and Pedestrians

Wednesday, March 10, 2021 - 8:22am

The City of Madison is reminding drivers to keep watch for Crossing Guards assisting children and families walking and biking to and from school. As Madison Metropolitan School District begins a phased return to in-person learning, Crossing Guards will also begin work at select intersections every day that schools are in session. As students in more grades return to in-person learning, more staffing will occur at additional intersections.

"I want to thank our dedicated Crossing Guards who are staffing intersections throughout the city to support the wellbeing of children and families," said Virginia Kravik, Crossing Guard Supervisor. "Crossing Guards are an important factor in ensuring that students returning to in-person school are able to walk and bike to school safely."

Remember to slow down in school zones, yield to people in crosswalks and drive with caution at all times. "We are all responsible for creating an environment where pedestrians are able to arrive at places safely," said Renee Callaway, City of Madison Pedestrian Bicycle Administrator. "We urge everyone to travel with caution, especially now as children and families return to walking and biking to school."
Reminders for drivers:

Be aware of Crossing Guards and Obey Their Directions.

• If a Crossing Guard signals for you to stop, you are required to stop no closer than 10 feet and no less than 30 feet from the guard.
• By law, you must remain stopped until both the children and the crossing guard have returned to the curb.

Yield to People in Crosswalks

• State law requires drivers to yield to people crossing at marked or unmarked crosswalks.
• When turning, look for people walking or biking across the street.

Slow Down

• School zones and intersections monitored by crossing guards may have a posted speed limit of 20 mph. If there is no posting, the speed limit in school zones is 15 mph.
• A person walking hit by a person driving a motor vehicle traveling at 20 mph has only a 13% chance of being killed or seriously injured. At 30 mph there is a 40% chance the person walking will die or be seriously injured.

Drive Safely

• Texting and talking on a cell phone while driving slows reaction time and state law prohibits texting and driving.
• I'm Always Follow Signs, Markings and Any Requirements in your School's Traffic Safety Plan
• U-turns in school zones are prohibited.
• Pay attention to no parking signs in school zones. A sign that says, "no stopping, standing or parking" means you may not use that area as an unloading point. These areas are marked to offer a better safety sight line for pedestrians, crossing guards and drivers.
  • You may not stop there even briefly to drop off kids.
• Do not double park; it creates an unsafe environment for everyone.

Keep in mind that we can all do our part to keep our children and families safe as we look forward to concluding the school year. If you would like to work part time as a Crossing Guard, 10 – 15 hours each week, there is still some time to apply. The job posting closes on Friday, March 12. Additional information and to apply on-line for the Crossing Guard (hourly) position, visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/MadisonWi .

Visit the Crossing Guard Website to learn more about the program.