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7D. Crossing Supervision

§7D.01 Adult Crossing Guards

Option

Adult crossing guards may be used to provide gaps in traffic at school crossings where an engineering study has shown that adequate gaps need to be created, and where authorized by law.

Support

02. Adult crossing guards can also add conspicuity at the crossing where children, who are typically smaller in stature, might not be as visible.

03. High standards for selection of adult crossing guards are essential because they are responsible for the safety of and the efficient crossing of the street by schoolchildren within and in the immediate vicinity of school crosswalks.

Guidance

04. Jurisdictions should have policies and procedures for the qualifications, selection, and training of adult crossing guards.

Option

05. Adult Crossing Guards may be temporarily or permanently assigned at designated school crossings to assist school pedestrians at specified hours when going to or from school. The following suggested policy for their assignment applies only to crossings.

Guidance

06. An Adult Crossing Guard should be considered when:

  • A. Special situations make it necessary to assist school pedestrians in crossing the street.
  • B. A change in the school crossing location is being made, but prevailing conditions require school crossing supervision until the change is constructed and it is not reasonable to install another form of traffic control or technique for this period. Criteria for Adult Crossing Guards

Support

07. Adult Crossing Guards normally are assigned where official supervision of school pedestrians is desirable, while they cross a public highway, and at least 40 school pedestrians for each of any two hours (not necessarily consecutive) daily use the crossing, while going to, or from, school.

08. Adult crossing guards can be considered under the following conditions:

  • 1. At uncontrolled crossings where there is no alternate controlled crossing within 600 feet; and
    • a. In urban areas where the vehicular traffic volume exceeds 350 during each of any two hours (not necessarily consecutive) in which 40 or more school pedestrians cross daily while going to or from school; or
    • b. In rural areas where the vehicular traffic volume exceeds 300 during each of any two hours (not necessarily consecutive) in which 30 or more school pedestrians cross daily while going to or from school. Whenever the critical (85th percentile) approach speed exceeds 40 mph, the guidelines for rural areas should be applied.
  • 2. At stop sign-controlled crossing: Where the vehicular traffic volumes on undivided highways of four or more lanes exceeds 500 per hour during any period when the school pedestrians are going to or from school.
  • 3. At traffic signal-controlled crossings:
    • a. Where the number of vehicular turning movements through the school crosswalk exceeds 300 per hour while school pedestrians are going to or from school; or
    • b. Where justified through analysis of the operations of the intersection.
  • 4. At pedestrian hybrid beacon controlled crossings.

09. Consider discontinuing the use of Adult Crossing Guards at crossings when they no longer meet the conditions under which they were initially used. Legal Authority and Program Funding for Adult Crossing Guards

Option

10. Cities and counties may designate local law enforcement agencies, the governing board of any school district or a county superintendent of schools to recruit and assign adult crossing guards to intersections that meet approved guidelines for adult supervision.

01. Part 7 – Traffic Control for School Areas

Support

There are various methods for funding a school adult crossing guard program. One of these methods is through the use of fines and forfeitures received under the Penal Code. Disposition of these fines and forfeitures is defined in CVC §§ 42200 and 42201.

12. An example of these dispositions by cities and counties is as follows:

  • A. Disposition by cities (CVC § 42200). Fines and forfeitures received by cities and deposited into a "Traffic Safety Fund" may be used to pay the compensation of school crossing guards who are not regular full-time members of the police department of the city.
  • B. Disposition by county (CVC § 42201). Fines and forfeitures received by a county and deposited in the road fund of the county may be used to pay the compensation of school crossing guards, and necessary equipment and administrative costs. The board of supervisors may adopt standards for crossing guards and has final authority over the total cost of the crossing guard program. Training Programs for Adult Crossing Guards

Support

13. Caltrans and Active Transportation Resource Center (ATRC) provides local jurisdictions “California School Crossing Guard Training Program - Administration and Training Guidelines”, to promote standardized training to newly employed Crossing Guards, as well as seasoned Crossing Guards, to help them understand their roles and responsibilities, learn about relevant laws and traffic regulations, practice proper crossing techniques, and foster safe school environments. More details on the training program and guideline are available at https://caatpresources.org/train_cot_crossguard.html.

Guidance

14. Adequate training should be provided in adult crossing guard responsibilities and authority. This function can usually be performed effectively by a law enforcement agency responsible for traffic control.

15. Training programs should be designed to acquaint newly employed or reassigned crossing guards with their specific duties, local traffic regulations, and crossing techniques. Training workshops may be used as a method of advising experienced employees of recent changes in existing traffic laws and program procedures. For example, crossing guards should be familiar with the California law which provides that any person who disregards any traffic signal or direction given by a non-student school crossing guard authorized by a law enforcement agency, any board of supervisors of a county or school district shall be guilty of an infraction and subject to the penalties of Section 42001 of the CVC (§ 2815).

§7D.02 Operating Procedures for Adult Crossing Guards

Standard

01. Law enforcement officers performing school crossing supervision and adult crossing guards and school safety patrol shall wear high-visibility retroreflective safety apparel labeled as ANSI 107-2020 standard performance for Class 2, Type R, as described in Section 6C.05.

02. Adult crossing guards shall not direct traffic in the usual law enforcement regulatory sense. In the control of traffic, they shall pick opportune times to create a sufficient gap in the traffic flow. At these times, they shall stand in the roadway to indicate that pedestrians are about to use or are using the crosswalk, and that all vehicular traffic must stop.

03. Adult crossing guards shall use a STOP paddle. The STOP paddle shall be the primary hand- signaling device.

04. The STOP paddle shall comply with the provisions for a STOP/SLOW paddle (see Section 6D.02) except both sides shall be a STOP face.

05. The paddle shall be retroreflective or illuminated when used during hours of darkness.

Option

06. The 24 x 24 inch size of the STOP (C28A(CA) paddle may be used where greater emphasis is needed and speeds are 30 mph or more.

Support

07. See Section 6D.02 for details on STOP paddles and rigid staff.

§7D.101(CA) School Safety Patrols

Support

The California Education Code, Sections 49300 to 49307, and the California Code of Regulations, Sections 570 to 576 and 632, authorize the development of School Safety Patrols and outline rules for implementing these programs within the state. Part 7 – Traffic Control for School Areas