Port Elgin residents want to see a new school crossing guard added in their neighbourhood.
Council has received a petition with 62 signatures asking for school crossing guards to be added at the intersection of Waterloo and Catherine Street, and where Green Street meets Bruce and Stafford Streets.
The residents also want snow cleared from the sidewalks in the area to make it easier for children walking to school, and for a sidewalk to be added on Bruce Street between Falconer and Mill Streets.
The petition was simply received by council, none of the residents attended the meeting as a delegation.
The request comes just as town staff are thinking about implementing a set of guidelines to follow when deciding if crossing guards are needed.
Two sets of provincial guidelines have been developed over the past 17 years, but none of them are part of the Highway Traffic Act.
Deputy Mayor Doug Freiburger says when a traffic study is done to determine if a crossing guard should be added, the study should be done over the course of a week, not twice daily.
He says spreading out the study will give a more accurate idea of the need.
Councillor Victoria Serda says there is a lot of traffic in the neighbourhood where the new crossing guards are being requested because both the public and Catholic elementary schools are in the neighbourhood.
There are already five school crossings with guards in Saugeen Shores.
Three are in Port Elgin, two are in Southampton, and there are also signalized crosswalks in both communities.
Mayor Mike Smith says the residents wanting the new crossings are willing to follow along with the town’s guidelines, which could be implemented by council in November.
Smith says the guidelines will be helpful in deciding if crossing guards should be added, because no policies currently exist.
He says regulatory agencies put a lot of thought into developing the guidelines, and now if someone comes into the town office asking for a new crossing, staff can go down to the location and see if it is warranted.
Smith says the guidelines will help justify if a location needs a crossing guard, or if there are other locations that might serve the purpose better.