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Students and parents press Redondo Beach council for crossing guard at Ford and Aviation; council agrees to pilot relocation
Summary
After dozens of Jefferson Elementary students and parents urged action, Redondo Beach council authorized staff to pilot moving an existing crossing guard to the Ford/Aviation intersection with community notice and follow‑up analysis during the budget cycle.
Dozens of Jefferson Elementary students, parents and neighbors pressed the Redondo Beach City Council on March 31 for a crossing guard at the Ford and Aviation intersection, saying the spot is dangerous and slows children’ s trips to school.
"We need a crossing guard now for the rest of the school year," said Otis, a fourth grader who presented signatures collected from 133 classmates and 107 community supporters. "We still have 54 more school days and we don't want to wait."
The council took the comments during a lengthy public‑comment period that council members moved earlier in the evening to accommodate families with young children. After hearing more than two hours of testimony from students and parents describing close calls, heavy traffic and an added 20‑minute detour to reach a guarded crossing, the council voted to pilot an administrative relocation of one existing crossing‑guard post to Ford and Aviation and to provide community notice prior to implementation. Staff said the target start date would be Monday, April 13, pending coordination with the school district and parent notification.
Why it mattered: Families said the intersection has fast-moving vehicles and limited safe crossing opportunities for the many children who bike and walk to Jefferson. Multiple students described being fearful and asked the council for immediate relief for the remaining weeks of the school year.
What council members said: Several council members described the choice as a budget‑neutral, temporary reallocation of an existing guard while staff and a council subcommittee continue a broader review of crossing‑guard locations and longer‑term traffic remedies.
City Manager Mark Winer said the relocation was an administrative action staff could implement with notice and that the council would consider any broader changes as part of the 2026–27 budget work. The city traffic engineer provided a comparative table showing pedestrian and bicycle counts across candidate locations; staff emphasized that Jefferson neighborhood crossings generally have lower vehicle approach complexity than aviation/ Ford but recognized the community’s immediate safety concern.
What happens next: Staff will coordinate notification through the school and city channels, implement the relocation on a trial basis, and return to the council with recommendations and any needed budget adjustments in the 2026–27 budget cycle. The council also asked staff to identify infrastructure enhancements (curb extensions, timing changes, raised medians) that might reduce future dependence on staffed crossings.
Attributions: Quotes are from public commenters recorded in the March 31 council transcript. Otis is identified in the record as a Jefferson Elementary fourth grader. The council’s administrative direction and timing came from remarks by the mayor and the city manager during the March 31 meeting.
The council is expected to report back with a formal evaluation of the trial and a recommendation as part of next year’s budget process.
