Beech/Bayswater crossing guard update

For the past week-and-a-half, we've been working on and asked several times to shift the crossing guard currently at Beech and Laurel to Beech and Bayswater. As many have written, the move by Devonshire school to the St. Ambrose campus has significantly changed kids' walking routes.

Crossing guards are allocated according to warrants. If an intersection has over 10 kids crossing in a peak period, and non-compliance with the stop sign (such as rolling stops) is over 20%, it can be considered for a guard.

Staff have been evaluating the Beech/Bayswater intersection, most recently yesterday afternoon, to see if it meets the warrants. While there are now 104 kids crossing that intersection, compliance with the stop sign measured in the morning and afternoon peaks was 88% and 87% respectively. Staff contend that the volume of kids crossing creates its own traffic calming as drivers are alerted to the need to be careful.

Meanwhile, staff note that there are still 12 kids crossing at Bayswater/Laurel, and it has previously been measured to fall below the 80% compliance threshold.

As our staff note, the warrants policy is Council approved, and they're not authorized to shift the guard to a location where one isn't warranted. Of course, if the Board is willing to pay for a guard then one could be provided.

Staff have been in touch both the Devonshire's principal and myself. I'm pondering our next steps, but wanted to provide residents with this update now.