Pedestrian safety at SRSS a concern for school division

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This article was published 05/08/2024 (293 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Pedestrian safety at Steinbach Regional Secondary School is of concern to Hanover School Division.

During the last school board meeting of the year, trustees heard from trustee Charmaine Toews about the issue which was discussed in the last operations committee meeting.

“There was some unfinished business from the previous meeting that we were in discussion about pedestrian safety at SRSS which is a very big concern. With all the traffic in the area and many pedestrians and parent drivers, student drivers, struggle to follow the rules of the road there. So, there are many concerned with safety especially with the pre-school kids that cross right in front of the school,” she said.

Superintendent Shelley Amos said the concern over pedestrian safety grew gradually and became a greater concern over the last year due to driver behaviour.

“Despite our safety measures, our staff and our homes and all of the things that we have tried, for safety we have unfortunately adult driving behaviours that are dangerous.”

The RCMP was contacted about the safety of pedestrians and traffic concerns at the school but did not respond by press time.

Pedestrian safety at SRSS has been in the headlines. In September 2023, a six-year-old was struck by a bus while trying to cross the bus loop at SRSS and in 2011 a cyclist was struck by a car at the crosswalk off McKenzie Avenue. City engineer Aaron Rach said the 2023 incident was the only pedestrian accident at that location that he is aware of in the past 14 years.

“I wouldn’t say there’s a specific concern there. In general, we do take pedestrian safety seriously surrounding school zones especially. This particular location there is no concern,” said Rach, noting there is a typical level of congestion you’d expect at the school during drop-off and pick-up times. He also noted that a hill had been removed by the school division near the access to the bus loop to reduce a sightline issue.

Rach said the city has no intention of putting in speed bumps, lowering traffic speeds, or putting more police patrols in the area to calm traffic.

“Like all school zones, motorists need to pay special attention when driving through there,” said Rach. “Observe and follow all the signage and just always be aware that sometimes pedestrians can cross at unexpected locations and to just be on alert then you’re driving through a school zone.”