The city of Twin Falls explains where crosswalks can be placed near schools

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — With school now fully back in session more kids are heading to and from school with more traffic on the roads as kids get dropped off and picked up.

KMVT has received an email with safety concerns and a lack of crosswalks. We reached out to the city of Twin Falls about these concerns.

City Spokesperson Josh Palmer, said there are increased patrols around public schools, specifically with schools on main arterial roads and major roadways. He said that charter schools will have increased patrols and many of those schools in areas that have less traffic.

However, he said Pinecrest Academy is on Orchard Dr. which is a high-traffic road and there are no crosswalks directly in front of the school entrance but the city cannot construct a crosswalk mid-block.

“A lot of industry uses that roadway with its heavy equipment and heavy trucks,” said Palmer. “So, Orchard Dr. is a challenge to have a school on that roadway. So, a crosswalk mid-block there you’re going to have freight trucks who are only going to have less than 600 feet between the stop sign, or the cross streets where they have to stop, and a potential crosswalk if that were to be considered.”

He also said a crossing guard cannot be stationed outside a designated crosswalk.

“So, a crossing guard that’s at an area that there is no crosswalk or advanced signage you’re really putting that person at risk you’re also putting the students at risk because of the false sense of safety,” said Palmer.

Palmer added the city of Twin Falls is working to conduct research in that area to find where they can help accommodate the school and the public.

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