To the Editor:

On the occasion of Mayor Lempert’s joint proclamation of “International Walk to School Day and Crossing Guard Appreciation Day,” I am writing to express my deep appreciation for the crossing guards who keep children (and their families) safe everyday as they make the journey from home to school and back again. As a Riverside parent, I have always been impressed by the dedication, unflagging attentiveness, and good cheer of the crossing guards who are so much a part of our daily lives during the school year. While Mayor Lempert’s proclamation focused the spotlight on them on October 8th, in truth they deserve our gratitude every day!

“International Walk to School Day” also provides an opportunity to draw attention to one major street in town that, surprisingly, lacks a crossing guard altogether: Nassau Street, which also happens to be a state highway. This is a serious safety issue for kids who live in the Riverside neighborhood and who attend John Witherspoon Middle School or Princeton High School. All of these kids who walk or bike to school must get across Nassau Street somehow, somewhere, to get to and from school every day. Yet currently no intersection on Nassau Street enjoys the watchful eye and added safety provided by a crossing guard.

Making walking a part of daily life offers so many benefits to walkers themselves and to the rest of us: improved health and fitness, cleaner air, reduced fossil fuel consumption, less traffic congestion. And the presence of walkers of any age, but especially school children in the mornings and afternoons, just makes our town a livelier, friendlier, more vibrant place. I hope Mayor Lempert’s proclamation will focus the attention of our public safety officials on this missed opportunity to keep some of our youngest daily commuters safe. Let’s put a crossing guard on Nassau Street.

Elizabeth Armstrong

Hartley Avenue