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Parents urge Sierra Madre to restore crossing guards at busy Auburn/Highland intersection
Summary
Parents at Sierra Madre Elementary urged the City Council to provide crossing guards or police support at the crowded Auburn/Highland intersection after volunteer school staff stopped assisting because of safety concerns.
Parents of Sierra Madre Elementary students told the City Council on May 27 that the Auburn/Highland intersection has become unsafe for children arriving and leaving school and asked the city to provide crossing guards or stepped-up police enforcement.
Why it matters: Parents said the intersection is a four-way stop with two vehicle drop-off lines, heavy pedestrian traffic and repeated near-miss incidents. With teachers and staff no longer willing to volunteer as crossing guards, speakers said children are crossing unsupervised twice a day.
Several parents described the situation in detail during the public comment period. Laura Knighton, a parent and Sierra Madre resident, said the principal told parents the district does not provide crossing guards and school staff “aren’t willing to do it anymore after incidents of almost being hit.” Knighton said cars frequently try to go around stopped vehicles, drivers honk at one another and pedestrians are sometimes forced into the roadway.
Another speaker, Elizabeth Nuccio, urged temporary stepped-up police presence during the remaining school days and asked for extra patrols “half an hour before school, half an hour after school” while the city explores a longer-term solution. Catherine Miller recalled a 2023 safety assessment by UC Berkeley’s Safe Transportation Research and Education Center that cited Highland Avenue as a focus area and noted that a crossing guard appeared in photos taken for that earlier study.
Council response and next steps: Council members asked whether parents had raised the issue with the Pasadena Unified School District; speakers replied they had spoken with their principal, who said the district does not provide crossing guards for Sierra Madre Elementary. Council members discussed short-term police support and said staff would follow up to identify options. No formal motion or ordinance was made at the meeting.
What’s next: Council members and staff indicated they will investigate possible short-term measures (extra patrols/enforcement) and report back; parents pressed for a longer-term commitment to an established crossing guard program or comparable pedestrian-safety measures.
