Councillors to decide future of school crossing guard

City Council will be asked to decide the future of a crossing guard position at the Northern Avenue East and Sackville Road intersection.

A crossing guard was temporarily assigned to the busy intersection two years ago, after Ward 4 Couns. Rick Niro and Marchy Bruni asked for a study to determine whether a full-time guard was needed.

"Many vehicles, including large trucks, use this intersection to and from their places of business on Second Line and on Sackville Road," the councillors pointed out, adding that "school children must use this intersection on their way to Boreal French Immersion Public School."

But the temporary assignment lasted longer than anyone expected.

"Since the ideal timing for a crossing guard study is during the warmer months, it was decided to keep the crossing guard at the intersection and do the field study in the spring of 2020," says Carl Rumiel, the city's manager for design and transportation engineering.

"However, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and this study was not completed until fall of 2021," Rumiel says in a report to Mayor Provenzano and councillors.

"The decision to assign a school crossing guard is determined by referencing the Ontario Traffic Council School Crossing Guard Guide. For assignment of guards at a signalized intersection, a warrant method utilizing an exposure index which is calculated by reviewing potential vehicle and pedestrian conflicts at other signalized intersections through the city which also have crossing guards. Utilizing this exposure index and applying the number of students using the crossing guard, municipalities can determine if the signalized intersection is a candidate for a crossing guard."

"There is only one other signalized intersection in the city with a crossing guard making it difficult to determine an accurate exposure index for our community. Further, there is a minimum suggested crossing volume to consider a crossing guard."

"The guide suggests that a minimum of 30 students during peak periods to warrant a guard at a signalized intersection. There were only eight students observed using the crossing guards at Sackville Road on average."

Rumiel will recommend Monday against assigning a crossing guard to the intersection.

"However, the transit division has indicated that the current crossing guards have been budgeted for until the end of the school year and will remain in place at least until then. The transit division will continue to monitor usage over this period to make a decision before September 2022," he says.

Meanwhile, another local crossing guard was honoured earlier today by SooToday and generous sponsors as an outstanding community role model.

Monday's City Council meeting will be livestreamed on SooToday starting at 4:30 p.m.