Teach kids how to cross a busy street. Field trip to NYC!

I love the patch is making such a huge deal of this issue. There must be at least 5 articles about the same issue. The student was walking from a private lot (rented space at YMCA) to the High School. Had she taken the bus or been old enough to drive to school (paid for student parking at HS) this most likely would not have happened. In any case, the driver is at fault, a ticket was issued, done deal. Find something else to report.

While you're at it, teach drivers to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. The drivers are in a rush and paying no attention to kids who are crossing carefully (much of the time) as they should. They aren't exactly courteous to other drivers either. I am grateful that my younger son has been making his bus nearly every day. His older brother used to run late all the time. Driving to the high school for drop-off is not pleasant.

While you're at it, teach pedestrians to yield to objects that are biger, faster, heavier, whos operational condition you know nothing about, and are operated by unknown beings.

Period patrols by Bridgewater PD would help. They should be looking for people who don’t yield to pedestrians and jaywalkers from the YMCA lot. There is a police officer at the intersection when the busses leave after school and I’ve seen him stop people who disobey his signals. People need to understand that just because you have the “right of way” doesn’t mean you can just cross a street without looking out for cars. NJ drivers are terrible.

Teach Personal Responsibility.

We need to teach our children to be responsible for themselves first and foremost. I'm not just talking about crossing the street. We should be teaching them to be courteous and careful drivers also. After my children and I have taken our lives in our hands twice daily every single school day for 7 years while walking to Hamilton School, it has become glaringly clear that most drivers (including busses) are only thinking of themselves and their busy schedules. They apparently do not have the time to notice children are literally walking inches from the road when they are driving 45 in a 25 zone while texting and drinking coffee. That being said, the only thing that seems to encourage drivers to pay attention and slow down is police presence. They need to be there in the morning and at dismissal when kids are walking to the HS and crossing the street.

I don't understand what is the need to have a police officer stand there (and get paid for doing it) when a traffic light can do the trick. The lights should be timed and the length of time they stay red / green should depend upon the time of the day. It would greatly help ease the congestion on the road in the mornings and evenings.

A traffic light might ease congestion, but only for 7:15-7:25am and 2:15-2:30pm. I don't think this would justify putting a light in. BTW, there is a paid police officer stationed at the HS during school hours every day. This has been the case for many years. I have noticed increased patrolling in the morning while students are arriving.

What a light would do is force the motorists and the students stop and give each other the right of way at periodic intervals. When I was dropping off my daughter in the morning, I noticed that the students have no respect for the vehicles that are on the road. A bunch of about 10 kids walking from the YMCA did not even bother to look on both sides of the street before stepping on to the street. Granted they stepped in to the crosswalk but did not follow the basic road crossing rules. Maybe the YMCA parking for BRHS students should be scrapped and additional parking built within the school campus.