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Hammond trustees direct staff to craft elementary-transportation plan after residents warn of hazardous walking routes
Summary
Trustees asked the superintendent and transportation director to identify hazardous schoolwalking routes and price options for elementary busing, after residents and crossing guards described immediate winter-safety risks for students.
Facing multiple public pleas about unsafe routes and looming winter weather, the School City of Hammond board on Nov. 19 directed Superintendent Dr. Wilson and Transportation Director Mr. Peterson to develop an elementary-transportation plan that identifies hazard zones and estimated costs.
Multiple residents and school staff told trustees that small children are walking long distances along busy, dangerous corridors — including Chicago Avenue, Calumet and Columbia — and warned that snowfall would make the routes more hazardous. Wanda Puckett, a crossing guard, urged the board to “give them this bus,” saying the first snow will make streets slippery and that kindergartners and preschoolers are at risk.
Trustees acknowledged long-running difficulties and asked administration to return with a rough plan, identified pickup points, and a price tag. Dr. Wilson said he will work with Transportation Director Mr. Peterson and identify a starting list of hazard zones and an approximate cost; trustees suggested the district could seek DUAB (Department of Local Government or analogous approval/funding) guidance or identify funding sources.
The board emphasized equity, saying any plan should serve students districtwide and be sustainable. Several trustees criticized the district’s prior use of contracts and consultants and said money could be reallocated to prioritize student transportation. Trustees set a near-term expectation for a proposal after the Thanksgiving holiday with the aim of implementing measures before or during winter weather.
Why it matters: Children walking long distances on hazardous routes pose immediate safety risks during winter storms. Trustees’ direction to produce a plan signals a near-term administrative action the community has sought for months.
What’s next: Superintendent Dr. Wilson will return with hazard-zone maps and cost estimates, and trustees said community input will be sought when developing pickup points and budget options.
