As we work toward a more streamlined, standardized approach to student pedestrian safety in the School Crossing Guard (SCG) Program, we must embrace new strategies and protocols to manage and assign SCG locations. The process by which to handle new SCG site requests is three fold:

1. Standardize the manner in which new requests are submitted
2. Evaluate the request using standardized survey methodology
3. Keep records of requested locations and the results of the evaluation survey

New requests should be submitted using this request form – these can be completed by a parent or school administrator but must be endorsed by the school principal/assistant principal. Additionally, a preliminary pupil pedestrian count must be performed by the requester. These two required actions should serve to whittle requests down somewhat to those with more serious intent/concern. 

Requests must be evaluated using the attached standardized placement criteria. Many states have now adopted the best practice criteria provided by the State of California for the placement of SCGs in the MUTCD 2003, California Supplement. SCGs are normally assigned where at least 40 school pedestrians over the course of two hours each day cross a public highway on the way to or from school. Guards also should be considered when special situations make it necessary to assist elementary school pedestrians in crossing the street. Additional criteria are provided for specific situations, including uncontrolled crossings, stop sign-controlled crossings and traffic signal-controlled crossings. The criteria are based on vehicular traffic volume, vehicle speed and the number of vehicular turning movements.

Once completed request forms are received, the corresponding Area Supervisors can schedule a substitute SCG to perform the morning and afternoon pupil pedestrian counts. If the count does not meet the requisite 40 student threshold, appropriate traffic volume/speed review measures will be requested from the Traffic Engineering division

Requests and the subsequent result following the survey (request approved/rejected) should be logged so that future reviews are able to pinpoint when, why and how locations were or were not assigned. Additionally, new sites should have their request approval date entered in a shared database of all SCG posts. This shared database must be created so that all SCG Supervisors can access and update it with appropriate location and SCG contact information. The results of the bi-annual pedestrian count can also be recorded to track changes over time. Tom Sparenberg suggested that this database was outside of his area of expertise, but was certainly feasible if we could find someone with the appropriate skill set.

Student Pedestrian/Bicyclist Count

Instructions: Pick any one-hour period, morning or afternoon, and count how many students cross the street at the location. Please count all students who cross any street at the location where the School Crossing Guard is being requested, but you may not count any student more than once. You may conduct the count during the morning or the afternoon but the count must occur during a single 60-minute period of time.  DOT will conduct an independent verification of the count submitted on this form.

Please allow 30 to 60 days for assessment.

For more information, call the School Crossing Guard section at (410) 545-3705.

General

Crossing guards may be assigned at designated school crossings to assist elementary and middle school pedestrians at specified hours when going to or from school.

Criteria

Crossing guards may be assigned under the following conditions:

1. At least 40 elementary school pedestrians for each of any two hours daily use the crossing while going to or from school.

2. The crossing is on the suggested route to school.

3. A crosswalk, clearly marked and legally located, is present.

4. At uncontrolled crossings where there is no alternate controlled crossing within 600 feet; and,

A. In urban areas where the vehicular traffic volume exceeds 350 during each of any two hours (not necessarily consecutive) in which 40 or more school pedestrians cross daily while going to or from school; or,

B. When vehicular approach speed exceeds 40 mph and where the vehicular traffic volume exceeds 300 during each of any two hours (not necessarily consecutive) in which 30 or more school pedestrians cross daily while going to or from school.

5. At stop sign-controlled crossings where the vehicular traffic volume on undivided highways or four or more lanes exceeds 500 per hour during any period when the school pedestrians are going to or from school.

6. At stop sign-controlled crossings where the vehicular traffic volume exceeds 300 during each of any two hours (not necessarily consecutive) in which 30 or more school pedestrian cross daily while going to or from school and there is frequent vehicular turning movement.

7. At traffic signal-controlled crossings:

A. Where the number of vehicular turning movements through the school crosswalk exceeds 300 per hour while school pedestrians are going to or from school; or,

B. Where there are circumstances not normally present at a signalized intersection, such as crosswalks more than 80 feet long with no intermediate refuge, or there exists an abnormally high proportion of large commercial vehicles.