Parents and neighbors urge more crossing guards, traffic calming near Easterly Parkway Elementary

Parents and residents told council construction adjacent to Easterly Parkway Elementary created complex travel routes to school and increased safety risks on the first days of the school year. Allison Record, who said she lives in State College South and has a child at Parkway Elementary, described closed sidewalks that force families to cross busy streets and called for more crossing guards at Pugh and Garner streets or other safety measures if guards cannot be hired.

‘‘By the time people hit Garner Street in their cars, they're trying to make up for time they lost in the school zone. It's very difficult to cross the street safely,’’ Record said, noting the borough provided additional crossing support the morning she came to speak but calling for that to be the norm rather than the exception. A nearby resident also urged speed bumps on Ridge Avenue from Burrows to Atherton to reduce cut‑through traffic during weekend events and school drop‑off times.

Council thanked residents for raising the issue; staff and the police chief were referenced as parties that would coordinate on temporary and longer‑term measures, and council members noted traffic calming and longer‑term planning (including the zoning rewrite's shared‑use path and traffic‑calming handbook updates) are relevant to the issue.