KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Improvements are underway for Lovers Lane in Kalamazoo after an elementary school crossing guard was hit by a car.
"When we hear about something happening, we like to take action," said city traffic engineer Dennis Randolph.
With Milwood Elementary School sitting on Lovers Lane, Randolph says the speeding has to stop. "They need to slow down not only because there's a sign there but because there's a school here full of kids. And we want to protect them."
He says the city is doing their best to make sure no one else gets hurt.
"What is really different at this point is the bollards that we've placed by the crosswalk to mark the place where the crossing is," he said. "We're going to put bigger speed signs, bigger school signs, plus we're going to put them on both sides of the street."
He added that a continental crossing is coming along with speed radar signs. Those have been ordered and should be installed later in the year.
Out of the 3,000 crashes that the city sees a year, 700 people get hurt. For Randolph, this is just a fraction of the work that needs to be done.
"If we don't do anything over the next 10 years, for every year from now on 700 people more will be hurt and that's a terrible cost for the community to have to pay and individuals too," he told FOX 17.
The family of crossing guard Michael Clayborn sent a statement to FOX 17 regarding the recent changes.
Michael is progressing slowly but surely. He is getting good supports from Borgess Acute rehab and his friends throughout the community. All Michael wants to do is get better so he can return to his life. I have appreciated the attention given to the greater issue of traffic management and have been to the lovers lane/Foley location to view the immediate steps that have been taken to improve the safety of the neighborhood's children and crossing guards. It's important that similar changes be reviewed for other concerning school crossings throughout the community.
READ MORE: Crossing Guard suffers broken ankle after being hit by car outside Milwood Elementary
