MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — A Mountain Home mother and her kindergarten son have to cross four lanes of traffic to reach West Elementary School — and she said drivers have come dangerously close while she and her son were in the crosswalk.
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The intersection of Airbase Road and Haskett Street is operated by the Idaho Department of Transportation. Mountain Home School District Superintendent James Gilbert said the crossing has been a concern for decades.
"I would consider it a very dangerous intersection for pedestrians and for drivers that are trying to cross into traffic there," Gilbert said.
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Phoenix Maloney said she and her son experienced close calls within the first weeks of the school year.
"We had a lot of people fly by while we were walking through the crosswalk. The lights were flashing and people just were not paying attention," Maloney said.
Those experiences changed how she gets her son to school.
"Only got about four weeks in before I decided that it was just too unsafe. We do drive him to school," Maloney said.
But Maloney said driving comes with its own hazards. She said a sign near the intersection blocks sightlines for oncoming drivers.
"You can't see past this sign unless you pull past the crosswalk lines," Maloney said.
Maloney started a petition calling for improvements at the crossing.
"I'm trying to take charge and make sure we have everything lined up where we can get a stoplight or even just a better visible pedestrian crossbar," Maloney said.
In a statement to Idaho News 6, ITD wrote:
“Evaluating whether a traffic signal is appropriate requires an traffic study that considers factors such as traffic volume, crash history and pedestrian crossings using criteria in the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. That evaluation helps determine whether a signal would improve safety and traffic operations. Traditionally the city or county would conduct that study.”
As days get shorter, Gilbert is urging students to look both ways and make sure drivers see them before they step into the crosswalk.
"We'd rather have you be a little bit late to school walking than not get there at all," Gilbert said.
He is also asking drivers to watch for students walking and biking before and after school.
"I really do think if ITD took the time to look at it, they would also see that it's a pretty major issue," Gilbert said.
Maloney plans to raise her concerns at a Sept. 28 town hall hosted by Councilmember Brendan McCarthy at Pioneer Federal Community Credit Union. She encourages other Mountain Home residents to attend and share their concerns.
You can find the petition here.
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