The mix of impatient drivers and masses of San Benito High
School students crossing Nash Road everyday is a recipe for
disaster, and leaders from both the school and the city need to
work together to find a solution.
The mix of impatient drivers and masses of San Benito High School students crossing Nash Road everyday is a recipe for disaster, and leaders from both the school and the city need to work together to find a solution.
Before and after school and between classes, swarms of students cross the busy road to get to their classes on the other side of campus. The school has installed rumble strips to force drivers to slow down, and has two campus supervisors acting as crossing guards to stop traffic. But drivers are getting frustrated waiting for three or four minutes and have been calling campus supervisors foul names and veering into the wrong lane to avoid the rumble strips, according to Campus Supervisor Laura Russell.
Russell also said the mix of impatient drivers and masses of students needing to cross the street is “an accident waiting to happen.”
“Safety-wise, nobody has died there, so it makes me feel like nothing will get done unless someone does,” she said.
There don’t appear to be many easy solutions, but we have a few ideas:
n The city could bite the bullet and close Nash Road, undoubtedly making it safer for students, but also causing headaches for drivers and residents on the street
n Build an underground passageway like the one at Fourth Street that goes to the old Fremont School so students can walk safely under Nash Road
n Add a stop-gap measure to convince drivers to be patient, such as putting a uniformed school resource officer – if one is hired – on the busy street
The school has been trying for years to get the city to close Nash Road, but City Manager Clint Quilter says the Westside Boulevard extension project to divert traffic around the area must be completed first. The trouble is, with the city in a financial pinch, there is no timeline for the completion of Westside Boulevard. Perhaps the city could see if there is a student safety grant to help move the process along.
The other ideas might be more feasible. The city’s redevelopment agency might be able to pay for the underground project. The school itself, which has a $1 million surplus, might be able to dig up a portion of the cash. Or there may be a state grant out there to pay for an underground passageway. Even a combination of all three funding sources could pay for the project.
The quickest, though not the best, fix would be a school resource officer acting as traffic cop. The school has considered funding a school resource officer after the Hollister Police had to eliminate the position because of budget cuts. If that happens, one of resource officer’s duties should be to stand guard at Nash Road during the busiest crossing times. We’re sure that the sight of an officer in uniform will help keep drivers under control. Still, it’s only a stop-gap solution, but something must be done. It would only take one reckless driver to cause a terrible tragedy at the high school.
City and school leaders should discuss the problem and look for creative alternatives to keep students safe.
In the meantime, we ask drivers to keep their cool, treat the crossing guards with respect and obey the traffic laws. What’s more important, getting around in a hurry or the safety of our children? As SBHS Superintendent Jean Burns Slater says “We all have to step back and think ‘What does it cost to be three minutes late?'”
To comment on this issue, please e-mail the editor at [email protected].
