Residents of New Tampa want officials to hire a crossing guard to help children cross a busy intersection.
Cross Creek Boulevard is a four-lane divided highway with a lot of fast moving cars, as well as three schools and a public library near its intersection with Kinnon Street. The people who live near it are asking city and county officials to help keep children safe when they cross the busy street.
Resident Julianne DePriest-Bertrand has been trying for months to get a crossing guard at the intersection of Cross Creek Boulevard and Kinnon Street. She said it should be common sense since Pride Elementary has one and they're on a street that is not nearly as busy.
"They have all the flashers, all the street markings, they have the crossing guard," DePriest-Bertrand said. "That's what we want to see on Cross Creek because this are has been deemed a safety hazard."
DePriest-Bertrand is referring to a 2007 report from the Hillsborough County School District that said the intersectionwas too dangerous for a crossing guard. District officials decided to provide transportation to the schools with the hope that no students would walk or ride their bike to school.
The jurisdiction of this area is a major concern to parents who have been trying to fix the situation, according to Bertrand.
"They're saying one side is city and one side is county," she said. "So when you go to resolve issues or you take issues to the city or county, they're ping-ponging you back and forth. And so, time is ticking but we have to deal with the safety of our children and be proactive."
As an end result, the community hopes to see the City of Tampa implement a lowered school zone speed limit in the peak load and unload times for schools on Cross Creek Boulevard and for the county to provide a crossing guard to help children cross safely.