Barrie’s student school crossing guard program has survived the city’s budget cuts.
Councillors decided Tuesday night not to take $30,000 out of Barrie’s 2021 operating budget that funds the program.
Coun. Ann-Marie Kungl said this funding goes to the school boards to train the student guards.
“It supports a cross-city initiative, engaging students who are the actual traffic stewards for the students,” she said. “It’s framed as a service cut to that department to meet the 1.95 per cent (budget increase goal). I’m looking at returning it so we don’t disrupt the historical program.”
Kungl said the program also ties into active transportation — walking, cycling, etc. — so there’s less congestion at the school pickup and dropoff locations.
Only Coun. Sergio Morales voted against restoring the funding.
“Why are we subsidizing a school board operation? Not the fact that we have (funded it) in the past, the why,” he said. “It does not appear that our money is fundamental to the integrity and continuation of the program. I know they are going to be able to continue the program (without the $30,000).”
Deputy Mayor Barry Ward said crossing guards provide a small but important service.
“These are the kids, volunteers, usually Grade 7 or 8 students, that wear the florescent vests and stand at the intersections and they would just hold the kids back until they thought it was safe to cross,” he said. “They don’t have any power to stop traffic; they just stand there and when it’s safe to go across, they let the kids go across. They are there 15 minutes before school, 15 minutes after. They are volunteers.
“It’s run by the school board, but I will point out these people are standing on city streets. They’re trying to make our streets safer. It’s all part of the effort… about getting kids to school safely, encouraging kids to walk. We’ve spent a lot of money on everything from flashing lights to speed cushions. By themselves, none of them are 100 per cent effective,” Ward added.
“This program is not 100 per cent effective, but it helps a little bit. It makes people feel a little bit safer about crossing because there’s somebody there. These people are walking on city streets. It’s a small price to make it just a bit safer.”
Mayor Jeff Lehman agreed, noting active transportation and making city streets safer are strategic priorities for the city.
“To me, this is the type of thing we absolutely should support and should not be cutting,” he said.
The reduction had been proposed by the traffic service branch of the operations department to meet council's goal of a 2021 budget increase of no more than 1.95 per cent.
