Lakewood weighs school route safety measures after petition draws 1,600 signatures

Lakewood City Council is considering two ordinances aimed at improving safety along school walking routes after residents submitted a petition with more than 1,600 signatures. The proposals would establish a school-zone monitoring program and a fund dedicated to school public safety. Both are headed to a committee for further discussion.

The campaign comes as families prepare for the closure of Lincoln Elementary, which was approved in September and will displace hundreds of students. Dr. Matthew Badgett, the first of five petitioners, said parents are worried about longer walks and crossings associated with changes to school boundaries. An internal medicine primary care doctor and pediatrician in Lakewood, Badgett has two children, including a four-year-old.

Speaking Tuesday, Badgett said proposed walking distances and crossings conflicted with the city's transportation and safety plans, while no clear process existed to coordinate or enforce those plans. He said some Lincoln families face particularly long trips and that boundary changes would also require many grandparents to cross railroad tracks. Those concerns helped drive the push for a process to address increasing risks.

According to Badgett, organizers collected the signatures in four days, surpassing the roughly 944 required. The petition seeks a mitigation plan, public access to traffic and infrastructure data from the city engineer, more funding for crossing guards and police, and improvements designed to slow traffic. The two ordinances were added to this week's council agenda after council received notice that the petition signatures had been verified.

Under the proposed monitoring program, motorists traveling 6 to 9 mph above a school zone's posted speed limit would face a $100 fine. Those exceeding the limit by at least 10 mph would face a $200 fine. Badgett acknowledged privacy concerns but said protecting children could justify accepting some tradeoffs. Councilman-At-Large Tom Bullock emphasized that the proposal remains a draft requiring public discussion and said the proposed penalties mirror fines issued without cameras.

Bullock said he has seen more distracted driving and cited statistics from the past three to five years showing speeding problems in at least two Lakewood school zones. He said police cannot cover every location and that drivers sometimes slow down only while officers are visible. Any camera enforcement, he said, would need clear signs and fair implementation, with safer conditions as its purpose.

The second ordinance would establish a Safe Routes to School Fund, restricting its spending to school public safety needs such as crossing guards, infrastructure and other improvements. Bullock credited Councilmen Kyle Baker and Matt Bixenstine with leading work on the proposals. He said residents' demands for a timetable and accountability helped bring measures already under development before council, supporting the city's effort to preserve walkability.

If council does not approve the Safe Routes for Children Initiative as submitted, voters will decide its future. Bullock said he believes $2 million or $3 million could be allocated for intersection improvements and urged faster progress, while acknowledging questions about implementation, staffing and costs. Badgett said a one-to-three-year timeline would be realistic and that grant funding could affect how projects proceed.