The safety of our children walking to school is a priority!
Currently, there are 58 school crossings that serve 15 schools within the City of West Des Moines.
Cooperation among parents, students, motorists, schools, and public safety and engineering departments is crucial to the safety of children as they walk to and from school. It is important that each group is aware of their responsibility for maintaining safe routes to schools for children.
PARENTS
Determine your child’s safest route to school.
Walk your children along this route several times prior to the start of fall classes and emphasize proper procedures for crossing the streets.
When dropping off your children, unload on the school side of the street or where your child can cross the street at a designated crosswalk.
STUDENTS
Use established school routes.
Participate in bike, pedestrian, and bus safety programs provided by your school.
Practice safe and proper pedestrian behavior at all times.
MOTORISTS
Familiarize yourself with all local school areas and locations used by school children.
Obey all school crossing controls and be particularly alert near any school area.
Watch your speed in school zones.
Respond immediately to any pedestrian accident, regardless of severity, by providing first aid if necessary and calling emergency services.
Instruct the children on pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, and bus safety.
Develop a school route plan with transportation engineers.
Periodically review routes with special attention given to conditions such as unsafe sidewalks, trees or bushes that obscure vision, and the need for speed limit enforcement.
PUBLIC SAFETY - ENGINEERING SERVICES
Demonstrate and instruct students on the safe way to cross streets.
Provide training and supervision of crossing guards.
Respond to emergency situations.
Investigate and make recommendations on requests received from school administrators and the Engineering Services Department.
Assist in the development of a school route plan.
Investigate and make recommendations on requests for school traffic control measures.
Respond to inquiries regarding school traffic controls and develop a maintenance program for all traffic controls.
