SPOKANE, Wash. — Every day Spokane Public Schools parents send their students off to school to learn and grow.
But Peperzak Middle School mom Brittany Fitzgerald said that's when her worries begin.
"We’re talking about very small students, possibly walking these dangerous intersections,” Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald lives within 1.5 miles of her 6th grader's middle school, which means her child isn’t eligible to ride the bus.
One alternative is walking, which Fitzgerald said isn't the safest option.
"They have to cross, I counted on the way here, 14 unmarked cross walks, unmarked crossings," Fitzgerald recalled. "Then the 57th intersection, which we know is dangerous.”
Fitzgerald said the most direct route from the Hamblen neighborhood on the South Hill to Peperzak cuts through 57th Avenue at Crestline.
She said that intersection needs more protection for pedestrians, as made evident by students' "close calls" while using the crossing there since the beginning of school.
“One mom mentioned that her son - we had four days of school last week, Monday was Labor Day - so in four days, he was almost hit by a car on 57th three times," Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald said she's been one of the louder voices of concerned parents because she's the one to start an online petition to the district and school board.
"We have this hardline stance of its a 1.5 mile radius 'as the crow flies,' property to property," Fitzgerald explained. "Not walking distance and there's no exception to that rule when there really needs to be a detailed look at what other things are happening in that radius."
Fitzgerald also organized a "walk and talk" with SPS school board members before the school year began, inviting them to see what their students endure while on the walk to school.
SPS shared in a statement to KREM 2, adding more routes for students in need isn't as easy as some may perceive:
"The SPS transportation department and other SPS representatives have also connected with the families. We are doing as much as possible to accommodate all SPS families with transportation concerns. We have told families that we need at least a week to determine if there will be capacity on other buses, meaning, is there a bus stop that students can walk to. It is not as easy as adding a route because although we are increasing the amount of bus drivers, there is still a bus driver shortage. We need to ensure that we have the bus drivers needed to fulfill the current routes."
Fitzgerald said solutions can go beyond adding bus routes.
"We can reduce the speed limit. Red light trigger for the crosswalk, similar to the one at Manito. School zone speed limits on those roads," Fitzgerald listed. "There are so many solutions."
Fitzgerald explained if Peperzak students from the Hamblen neighborhood took the route with the most sidewalk-access, it would be a 1.8 mile walk. That equals out to a roughly 40-minute trip one way.
As of Sunday, the discussion of South Hill school walking routes is set to be an agenda item at the Southgate neighborhood council meeting.
Other concerned parents are expected to present at the Wednesday night meeting at the Talbott Event Center. The meeting starts at 7 p.m.
Fitzgerald hopes the district takes immediate action to prevent any possible accident and future 'close calls.'
"Nobody wants to be the one to answer the call for a tragedy when we have so many concerned," Fitzgerald said. "We don't want to be the taxpayers, residents, community who didn't take care of those children when you have the people telling you before it happens."
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