A proposal to authorize volunteer crossing guards took a step forward at Cincinnati City Hall. The idea came after more than a dozen students were hit by vehicles while walking to school since the beginning of the school year.
Education committee chair P.G. Sittenfeld says council has to approve the appointment of volunteer guards, and then give them power.
"If I'm Joe Citizen and I get in the middle of the road and I say stop, I have no legal authority. Under this framework, an officially designated volunteer crossing guard does have stopping power for traffic," he says.
The two ordinances go to the full council now for approval.
Bus Only Lane
Cincinnati plans to improve the visibility of the bus-only lane on Main Street. The lane was authorized last November to move buses out of Downtown faster. It has been marked with signs, but Department of Engineering Transit Manager John Brazina says when the weather improves, the words "Bus Only" will be painted on the street.
"They're eight foot-tall letters. It's going to be very obvious," he says. "It'll help supplement the signs so when you're actually driving on the lane you won't have to worry about looking at the curb signs. It'll be blatant. Right in front of you: 'bus only.' "
Brazina says enforcement has also increased along the corridor. He says there were 18 citations for blocking the lane in November, 43 in December, and 38 so far in January.
