NORFOLK - The City of Norfolk has a school crossing light shortage.
There's not enough money to install signals for four elementary schools and replace signals at three others, according to Alice Kelly with the Department of Public Works.
This came to light because Norfolk Christian, a private school with a campus on Granby, approached the city about getting a crossing light.
Members of the Wards Corner Task Force recently discussed moving existing crossing lights to cover Granby High and Suburban Park Elementary schools and Norfolk Christian's upper and lower schools.
Councilman Barclay Winn said it's an idea worth investigating.
'They're still citizens and they pay taxes. This is about protecting children. We're talking about lives here,' he said.
Kelly stated concerns stem from speeding drivers on Granby Street.
'What we really need is police to enforce the speed,' she contended.
The city is conducting a traffic study on the whole Granby Street corridor. In the meantime, officials want police to enforce the speed limit and prevent drivers from blocking medians.
A crossing light would cost about $150,000, to include the design of the poles and electronics.
Kelly stated a light is not warranted but suggested a left turn lane might help the situation at Norfolk Christian.
Two other private schools, Norfolk Collegiate and St Patrick's, paid for their own crossing lights, but city engineers paid to design them. Councilman Winn wondered whether a similar solution would work for the Christian schools.
