Photo by Joe Lamport
Hundreds of people rallied in June for safer streets near schools in the Bronx. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death and injury for kids aged 5 to 9.

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By Danielle Whyte
Norwood News

Hundreds of parents and teachers stopped traffic on the Grand Concourse during a recent rally for safer streets near Bronx schools.

The rally drew about 500 people to East 170th Street, enough to block cars on Grand Concourse. They shouted and waved signs and a few cars honked in apparent support.

The rally, organized by the Community Collaborative for Bronx schools (CCB), formerly known as the Community Collaborative for District 9 schools, called on Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Department of Transportation to implement a 15-mph speed limit around all Bronx public schools.

A spokesperson for the department said it is working to alleviate the school traffic problem.

"In recent years, throughout the city, we have installed thousands of school crosswalk markings and signs," the spokesperson said. "We have placed speed bumps at 350 schools and, as a result of our dialogue with CCB, we will be conducting a pilot program to test 15 mph speed limits around five Bronx schools this fall."

But parents are not satisfied.

"We are aware of the pilot program and we are not happy with that," said Ronn Jordan, a parent-leader from CCB. "It does not go far enough." CCB activists were initially fighting to get the pilot program launched in 50 to 100 schools across the Bronx.

"We've been after them for a while so for them to only chose five schools is a slap in the face," said Teresa Anderson, a parent-leader from the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, which is a member of CCB.

"Five schools will not make them want to make changes in the future," said Jordan. "We're not going to stop until 224 schools have this limit and speed calming devices." Over 25,000 parents, teachers, community members, local elected officials, the American Heart Association, and the Bronx Health Initiative have signed a petition to add traffic calming elements like school crossing guards, working traffic lights, and speed bumps around all 224 Bronx public school buildings.

Traffic accidents are the number one cause of death and injury for children aged 5 to 9, according to CCB.

"We have to put a stop to the senseless killing of our children," he said.

A survey of 143 principals in the Bronx, done by CCB, found that 80 percent of principals reported problems with speeding cars, 65 percent reported problems with crossing the street to the school, and 52 percent reported a need for 15 mph speed zones.

Ana Fernandez, attended the rally because she is concerned about her child, who goes to school in District 10. "My 9-year-old is in school and he comes home by himself and it scares me," she said. "The cars act like it's Nascar."

This article originally appeared in the Norwood News.