BRIGHAM CITY -- A traffic study found there are not enough walking students to warrant a crossing guard for Lake View Elementary School near 700 South and 200 West.
City officials are looking for volunteers to be trained as crossing guards for that intersection but are skeptical about whether they can get enough parents to volunteer.
Public Works Director Blake Fonnesbeck said, in years past, the city has had a hard time finding volunteers in the area to be crossing guards.
Fonnesbeck said the area does not warrant a school zone with flashing lights and that, during the time of the study, no one was seen speeding through the intersection.
Mayor Dennis Fife said, "This is a federal guideline. It is my understanding that cities can still be more restrictive."
Fonnesbeck and City Attorney Kirk Morgan agreed to research whether the city can hire a crossing guard even if the study does not warrant one.
In the meantime, city council members are asking for volunteers to be trained as crossing guards for the intersection.
Principal Susan LaVelle said the school has more than 500 students and no buses going to the school. She said she will talk to the school's PTA safety committee to get parents to volunteer to be crossing guards.
Police Chief Paul Tittensor said he believes not that many children walk to school.
"I hear this every year. Every year, we do the warrant study, and the rest of the year goes by without incident. I don't think there are many kids who are walking north of 200 South," he said.
"If they are not walking to school, how do they get there?" Councilman Bruce Christensen said.
It was determined that the majority of students are being driven to school by their parents.
Councilman Scott Ericson said, "It's a long ways from Forest Street to Lake View Elementary School. It's over a mile. That's a long way for first- and second-graders to walk."



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