LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Field Elementary parents and students anxiously crossed Frankfort Ave. after the dismissal bell rang on Friday afternoon.
"We've been crossing it for almost 7 years now, taking our kids to and from school," said Crescent Hill resident and mother Andrea Rothgerber. "We've been almost hit several times."
The Rothgerbers live close enough to walk to school, but she said she's seen too many near-miss accidents at the crosswalk at Reservoir Avenue and Frankfort Avenue.
"I've called the police several times," Rothgerber said. "I've contacted my councilperson several times."
The crosswalk near Field Elementary has no stop signs or traffic lights, only new "rapid flashing beacons." They look like flashing lights and are triggered with the press of a button.
However, elementary school parents are still uneasy about crosswalk safety.
"I pushed the button and the lights went on, and cars just kept going across the crosswalk," said Elizabeth McCormack, mother to a fifth-grader at Field Elementary.
McCormack said cars aren't paying attention to these crosswalk flashers that were installed last fall.
"Please watch out for those flashing lights because those are people's lives," McCormack said.
Rothgerber said the signals aren't doing enough for pedestrian safety.
"Even with the lights and everything, it's still dangerous to cross," she said.
Metro Councilman Andrew Owen of District 9 agreed.
He said calls and emails about safety concerns at the intersection are flooding in.
"I want to say very loudly and very clear to people, make sure you're paying attention to the crosswalks, particularly the ones with rapid flashing beacons at the side," Owen said.
Rothgerber credited local officials for trying to tackle the problem.
"I'm not really sure of what else they can do except for people just being more conscientious of each other and pedestrians," Rothgerber said.
Owen added that he's in conversations with Metro Public Works and other leaders to see what else can be done to make the crosswalk safer.
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