SOUTHWEST, Las Vegas — For one southwest Las Vegas family, getting to school means crossing a busy six-lane road.
Lynda Barry says her three children use a marked crosswalk on Jones Boulevard between Hacienda Avenue and Russell Road to get to and from school. She said drivers frequently speed through the crossing, even when the warning lights are flashing.
WATCH | Southwest Las Vegas reporter Shakeria Hawkins talked with Barry and her son about the dangers of the crossing:
Barry’s sixth-grade son, Taz’jer, rides his scooter to Grant Sawyer Middle School. He said drivers do not always stop when children are crossing.
“I use this crosswalk, and sometimes they stop, and sometimes they don’t,” Taz’jer said.
He said the crossing can be stressful, especially when drivers continue through the area.
“It’s just dangerous. You saw those three cars go past,” he said.
The family has lived in the area for a little over a year. Barry said she regularly hears concerns from her children about drivers coming too close while they are crossing.
“Every day I’m hearing a story. ‘Mom, mom, this car almost hit us. We were in the crosswalk and the car wouldn’t slow down.’ Every day I’m like, God, please protect my kid,” Barry said.
During an interview with Barry, I also observed vehicles traveling through the area while children were using the crossing.
Barry said she believes the issue is not the crosswalk itself, but whether drivers are slowing down and following traffic rules.
She is asking for more police presence in the area and said enforcement could help change driver behavior.
“We can tell them to slow down all we want, but a driver won’t stop until they get a ticket,” Barry said.
We reached out to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to ask whether additional officer presence or traffic enforcement could be provided in the area. A response was not immediately received.
We also contacted the Clark County School District to ask whether a crossing guard or other safety measures could be considered at the location. CCSD had not responded as of publication.
For Barry, the concern is simple: She wants her children to be able to make it to and from school safely.
“I would go crazy if something happened to my kid just because an adult couldn’t be responsible enough to stop and slow down,” she said.
