Oakland Councilmember-at-Large Rebecca Kaplan is proposing a resolution to help improve safety for young people by allocating more funding for school crossing guards.

“To encourage our young people to attend and succeed in school, and to make it safer to walk or bike to school, we need to provide crossing guards to help protect our students,” said Kaplan.

Co-sponsored by Councilmembers Noel Gallo and Annie Campbell Washington, the resolution will first be heard at the Public Works Committee of April 10 in City Hall’s Hearing Room 1. Kaplan is asking that $320,000 from Measure BB (transportation funding), which Alameda County voters approved in Nov. 2014, be allocated to add crossing guards at 16 additional schools in Oakland.

Each councilmember would be allowed to select two schools each to add crossing guards.  Kaplan, who also serves on the Alameda County Transportation Commission, co-authored Measure BB, which provides funding for transportation improvements.

“The voters of our community overwhelmingly approved Measure BB, and these funds should be used in a timely way to benefit our community,” said Kaplan.  “This proposal is an important and cost-effective way to improve the safety of our youth and reduce traffic congestion around our schools.  I encourage my colleagues to vote yes.”

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