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Resident urges change to Betsy Lane crosswalk to restore hazardous busing eligibility for local children
Summary
A resident told council a pedestrian‑activated crosswalk at Betsy and Oriole may disqualify nearby students from hazardous busing under school district policy; councilwoman Janae Butler asked staff to add the item to the June 3 agenda for review.
At the May 20 meeting a Murphy resident, Robert Flanagan of 550 Cedarville Trail, urged the city to modify the pedestrian‑activated crosswalk on Betsy Lane at Oriole to restore eligibility for hazardous school bussing for neighborhood elementary students.
Flanagan told council that under Plano ISD policy and the state administrative code, students who live within two miles generally do not receive bussing unless a location is classified as hazardous. He said the district’s criteria include a caveat: some multi-lane roads with a pedestrian‑activated crosswalk are not treated as hazardous, which in his view removes bussing protection for roughly 40 students in the Avery neighborhood who currently ride the bus.
“As an adult crossing it, you have all your senses… I don't consider that safe for elementary age schools,” Flanagan said, describing limited sight lines and the crosswalk’s location. He asked the city to alter the crosswalk so it would not be classified as a pedestrian‑activated crosswalk under the district’s criteria and to provide an assessment of crosswalk staffing and coverage before the next school session.
Councilwoman Janae Butler asked that the matter be added to a future agenda; staff said the item would be brought forward on June 3 and noted the police chief was out at training and could not be present for immediate discussion. Another commenter noted a similar problem in South Murphy and asked council to include that area in the review.
Ending: The council scheduled the item for the June 3 meeting for staff assessment and further discussion; staff will report back on crosswalk inventory, staffing and any options for changes that could affect school-district bussing determinations.
