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Provo district reviews Franklin Elementary safe‑routes requests; bus routing and crosswalks under consideration
Summary
School and city staff described parent concerns about students crossing a busy street and nearby railroad tracks at Franklin Elementary; the district’s traffic‑safety committee recommended a targeted transportation solution and will present final recommendations to the board in May.
District staff updated the joint meeting on Safe Routes to School requests for Franklin Elementary, where parents have raised safety concerns about student crossings at Fifth West and a nearby railroad crossing.
Wendy Dow, the superintendent, said the district has formalized referrals from school community councils and that the district’s traffic‑safety committee, which includes city representatives, reviews requests and advises the board. For Franklin Elementary the committee recommended a transportation change to address the specific crossing concern; district staff said the recommendation will come to the board for approval at the May 13 meeting.
Board and city council members also discussed operational concerns for buses at the nearby railroad crossing. Members said that when buses are stopped on tracks, drivers cannot safely turn around and the district should prepare contingency routing and training guidance for bus drivers. District staff and the transportation director said they will review driver training and reroute procedures to reduce the risk of long delays if a bus encounters a train.
Several board members noted the approaching bridge construction and related traffic changes and asked staff to ensure routes and contingency plans account for future traffic pattern shifts. The district said it will coordinate with the city regarding enforcement and alternate routing when needed.
The meeting did not include a formal vote on specific route additions; staff described the committee recommendation and scheduled the decision before the board in mid‑May.
