As Lincoln students head back to school Wednesday and Thursday, city officials are highlighting new efforts designed to make walking, biking and driving near schools safer. The City of Lincoln says its Safe Routes to School Initiative, launched in 2020, has now resulted in school-zone safety improvements at 33 schools.
“Through Safe Routes to School, we’re improving infrastructure, signage, and crosswalks to make it safer for students to walk and bike to school across Lincoln,” says LTU Director Liz Elliott. During a Tuesday morning news conference at Brownell Elementary, just north of 60th and Holdrege, crews have installed a new curb extension on Aylesworth Avenue.
The project improves visibility and shortens the distance students have to cross the street. New reduced-speed signs and refreshed crosswalk markings were also installed. Elliott says similar projects are underway or planned at schools across Lincoln, including Pyrtle Elementary and Eastridge Elementary.
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department is also involved, promoting pedestrian and bicycle safety while encouraging more students to use active transportation. Health Department Director Carrie Kernen says the improvements serve both safety and health goals.
“When we can improve safety, parents feel more comfortable having their kids walking, biking, and rolling to school. And with more students using active transportation, we also gain the benefit of increased physical activity,” Kernen says.
Lincoln Police Captain Todd Kocian says school zones will be a priority for traffic enforcement as the new school year begins. “The Lincoln Police Department is continuing its speed enforcement campaign through August and will be making school zones a priority as school starts.”
He reminds drivers that fines double in active school zones. He also urges children to make eye contact with drivers and make sure vehicles have stopped before entering a crosswalk. Brownell Elementary Principal Nikosia Kruse says drivers also play an important role in protecting students.
“Please, Lincoln drivers, be aware of school zones, limit distractions like cell phones while driving, use patience and understanding during arrival and dismissal, and obey traffic laws when it comes to pedestrians and bicycles in the crosswalk.”
The city says Safe Routes to School is part of its broader Safe Streets for All effort, which aims to reduce traffic fatalities and serious-injury crashes. City leaders are reminding drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists that school safety is a shared responsibility as students return to classrooms.