[1]Crossing guard Ronnie Lucas encounters dangerous drivers daily. Photo by Alisa Howlett
By Alisa Howlett
Ronnie Lucas has had many close encounters with speeding traffic.
Lucas, a crossing guard at Bridge Street West and Ritchie Avenue has been at this post for almost five years. Over that time, Lucas has not seen an improvement among drivers.
“There’s at least one (close call) every day. Every day is something different,” she said.
Just last spring, about five minutes away from Lucas’ post, a crossing guard was struck and killed by a vehicle at the intersection of Sidney Street and Leland Drive.
This month, Belleville police are focusing on school bus and crossing guard safety through the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP).
Sgt. Rene Aubertin is in charge of the STEP initiative. Aubertin said there have been some concerns since the start of September regarding school buses and crossing guards.
“School has been back in since the beginning of September, so everybody should be accustomed to it again. We know people get out of the habit of seeing buses and crossing guards over the summer months,” he said.
“We have had some concerns and some calls from the public, as well as bus drivers and crossing guards, regarding people not abiding by the laws and the rules that are out there, so we thought we would make this our focus this month.”
Aubertin said people are still ignorant of the law so it’s important to make this month about education.
“When the bus stops and the arm comes out, you have to stop. It doesn’t matter what direction you are going. Unfortunately, some people don’t do that, or they are not paying attention, or whatever the case may be and they have driven through the arms.
“It’s the same thing with the crossing guards. When a crossing guard is out there with a stop sign up, you have to stop,” he said.
Lucas said she remembers a time when she actually had to pull back a student from being hit.
“It leaves you shaking,” she said.
It’s not just the crossing guards that are concerned with the traffic. Parents are concerned as well.
Sabrina Maracle walks her young daughter to and from Prince Charles Public School five days a week. The school is located at the end of Ritchie Avenue and Catharine Street. Maracle sees dangerous drivers in the area daily.
“It’s horrible. They drive up and down. They race. The poor crossing guard almost gets hit at least five times a day or more. It’s constant traffic,” she said.
Kris Ruman, another parent who walks the same route daily, said the traffic is heavy from three to six p.m.
Officers are paying extra attention to school bus loading zones and crossing guard areas and focusing on areas of complaint, said Aubertin.
Lucas said she has seen a few officers doing their due diligence, but never at the appropriate times.
“From what I have heard, the police are supposed to be out in force checking all the crossing guard areas and watching for people doing the school buses. I have seen a couple but not at times when they need to be here; in the mornings and when they’re letting school out,” she said.
Lucas was almost struck by a speeding vehicle that failed to stop this week and then again by the same vehicle that afternoon.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said.
Crossing guards are not permitted to have cameras on them due to student privacy concerns. Lucas said she thinks cameras would be useful in situations where vehicles break the law.
“There’s nothing I can do. We’re supposed to stop and write down (descriptions of) cars and license plates. I’m sorry, you stand in the middle of the road and have somebody coming at you or going past you when you don’t expect it. You don’t have time to blink, let alone write down all the information,” she said.
Lucas suggested cameras on the stop signs would be an easier solution to catching law-breakers.
Maracle said she rarely sees police officers enforcing traffic in the area. She said a stop light instead of a stop sign at Bridge Street West and Highland Avenue would control traffic better.
Ideally, Belleville police would like to say at the end of the month that they didn’t hand out any tickets, but that hasn’t happened yet, said Aubertin.
“The law is the law. It doesn’t change from month to month. We have no control over that. The law is written by the province. The law is always there. Again, this is more about education. So we’re trying to bring some attention to it this month so more people know about it,” he said.
Belleville Police will be closely monitoring school buses and crossing guards until the end of the month. Failing to stop for a school bus or crossing guard is a $150 fine.