Lack of school crosswalks irk parents

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Parents say a lack of crosswalks at two schools in Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights is creating a dangerous situation for students.

However, the school district, the city and the police department said the crosswalks aren’t necessary because not enough students will use them.

“They’re running all different ways and cars are going so fast,” said Shirley Tetreault,  whose granddaughter attends one of the schools. “It is so unsafe. Oh my gosh, I’m serious. Somebody’s going to get really, really hurt here.”

The problem lies on the south side of Hoover Middle School and John Baker Elementary School. There is a crosswalk on the north side of the schools, but officials took out the two crosswalks on the south side three years ago.

Parents and students told KRQE News 13 that leaves nowhere for kids to cross the street safely.

“All the cars – I’m worried that they’re going to not stop,” said Brooke Tetreault, 12, a 7th grader at Hoover. 

After taking out the crosswalks and crossing guards, Albuquerque Public Schools officials told parents that it’s safer for children to watch out for traffic on their own and cross down the street at the corner. That explanation didn’t sit well with at least one parent.

“Seriously?” said Susan, the parent of a John Baker student who didn’t want her last name used. “It’s safer for who? Kids are jumping in the street. People don’t know where to stop. A kid comes out and they have to slam on their brakes.”

After parents complained, Albuquerque police surveyed the student traffic on the southside of the schools, which sit next to each other, in October. According to the department’s findings, just eight kids crossed the street in the morning and 28 after school.

That was not enough traffic to justify a crosswalk and crossing guard, according to police, the city’s planning department and the school district.

KRQE News 13 showed footage of the chaotic scene during drop-off and pick-up times at the school to Brad Winter, APS chief operations officer.

“Wow,” he said, after watching kids dodge between cars.

Still, he said that in order to have a crosswalk at an elementary school, a crossing guard must be posted. But the city hires crossing guards and said one isn’t necessary at the school.

Lora Butler, the parent of a 8th grader at Hoover, suggested installing a crosswalk and calling for volunteer parents or teachers to staff it and make sure kids cross safely.

“I know plenty of parents would say, ‘I’ll give up a half-hour or an hour to be there to get the kids out,’ ” Butler said.

However, Winter said using parents or staff would be an insurance liability.

As for the middle school, if a crosswalk is installed, other safety measures must come along with it.

“What I’m being told by the city (is) they will not put a crosswalk by itself because they feel it’s not safe for children to cross without having something protected like stop signs, a crossing guard or flashing lights beacons,” Winter said.

The city told News 13 it’s up to the school district to initiate new safety measures such as flashing lights that would go along with a crosswalk. APS said it’s up to the city to ask for those measures.

Until something changes, Butler said she will continue to drive her daughter to the school’s front entrance every day to make sure she’s safe.