City leaders, engineers, educators and parents gathered at Vallivue School District for a school safety summit led by Caldwell Mayor Eric Phillips. The meeting focused on recent pedestrian crashes involving students and what steps the city has already taken, and what can be done to improve safety around school zones.
Parents and educators heard from officials with Public Works, a Highway District 4 engineer, and a public information officer. City staff outlined existing safety measures, including crosswalks, flashing beacons, and pedestrian signals, and discussed the limitations of funding and infrastructure upgrades.
Mayor Phillips emphasized that keeping students safe remains the city’s priority.
“No matter what we do, signs, crosswalks, lighting, if drivers aren’t paying attention, kids are still at risk,” Mayor Phillips said. “That’s why this has to be a team effort.”
Public Works officials detailed the infrastructure improvements that have already been implemented near schools across Caldwell. Bruce Mills, Deputy Public Works Director of Transportation, explained how pedestrian hybrid beacon, known as HAWK signals, operate and why they are effective.
“They have different names, pedestrian, hybrid beacon, or hawk; these are the ones that actually you push the button, and it cycles through flashing yellow, yellow, red, and then it’s almost like just being at a crosswalk where the pedestrians can see, okay, you can walk now,” Mills said. “Those are effective; we have eight of those. They’re very expensive. They’re about $50,000 to put in.”
Mills noted that while city officials aim to improve school zone safety, the cost of these upgrades can make rapid changes difficult.
“We’ll still look for grants in the future. It’s tough to get them, but it’s worth it if we can get them so we can expand our system,” Mills said.
Despite city officials highlighting student education and infrastructure enhancements, parents at the meeting said the children involved in recent accidents had already taken the proper safety precautions, and other protections need to be pursued.
One parent shared emotional testimony about her daughter, who was struck by a truck while walking to school in a designated school zone.
“This horrific accident only happened because my straight-A student was walking to school. She stood and waited at the crosswalk of Caldwell High School on Fair Oaks Street,” the parent said. “She looked both ways. She waited her turn and proceeded to cross the street in the crosswalk exactly like she has been taught to do. And then a distracted driver changed her life forever.”
The testimony highlighted frustration among parents who say their children followed safety rules yet were still injured by drivers failing to slow down or pay attention in school zones.
Residents at the meeting called for immediate action, but city officials said swift change is challenging. Officials cited limited funding, the difficulty in securing grants, and the lengthy process required to design and install new infrastructure improvements as barriers to rapid progress.
City leaders acknowledged funding remains the biggest obstacle, saying only a limited number of safety measures can be implemented without grant support. Officials stated the conversation around school zone safety will continue as departments work behind the scenes to prioritize projects and seek additional funding.
For now, city officials say collaboration between the city, school districts, and the community will play a key role in improving school zone safety while longer-term solutions move forward.
