Buena Vista students urge clearer crosswalks, speed measures on Main Street and at River Park

Fourth- and fifth-grade students from Darren Patterson Christian Academy told the Town of Buena Vista Board of Trustees that faded crosswalks and inconsistent stopping by drivers are creating safety risks for pedestrians downtown and near the River Park soccer fields.

The students, who said they counted driver and pedestrian behavior during a one-day survey, reported that 17 vehicles came to a complete stop at marked crossings, 87 made rolling stops, and 11 did not stop at all; they also observed 13 pedestrians not using crosswalks. "The crosswalks are really faded and are hard to see," student Clara told trustees at the Feb. 11 work session.

The students recommended repainting crosswalks in stronger colors — including a 3-D paint treatment shown in their materials — adding speed bumps near the River Park entrance and Railroad Street, adding mid-street signs or island signage at crosswalks, and installing flashing speed-display signs on Main Street. They said an artist told them paint for the 3-D crosswalk treatment could be made non‑slippery and long‑lasting and quoted $50 per square foot for that work; the group did not provide a total cost estimate for the projects.

Trustees and staff asked about the scope of the students' counts and local priorities. Trustee Rice asked how many students participated and whether counts were done at multiple locations; the students said all fourth- and fifth-graders took part and that the counts were done on a single day at multiple locations along Main Street and near the library. A town planner encouraged the students to share their materials with staff for follow-up and offered to meet to discuss next steps.

Students also reported observations at the River Park soccer fields, where they said there is no signage warning drivers of high pedestrian traffic during soccer season, sight-line issues caused by trees and blind corners, and small children running across the parking lot. Proposed fixes for the park included a speed bump near the field entrance, a flashing speed sign, dedicated pedestrian signage, removing or trimming trees to improve sight lines, and fencing to channel entrances and exits.

Mayor Faye and trustees praised the students for collecting data and presenting concrete suggestions. Town staff said they would accept the students' materials for further review and consider them as part of ongoing traffic‑safety and park‑safety discussions.

The presentation occurred during the board's Feb. 11 work session; no formal action or budget appropriations were taken that night.