KENT — Town officials will seek help from school leaders and the state Department of Transportation to improve pedestrian safety at the intersection of Route 341 and Elizabeth Street, where students cross on their way between school and downtown.
Heather Brand, chair of the Kent Center School Board of Education, raised concerns about the crossing at the Board of Selectmen’s Oct. 20 meeting.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt in anyone’s mind that the intersection itself is concerning,” she said.
The intersection has crosswalks but no other pedestrian safety measures. Brand said Kent Center School previously provided a crossing guard during arrival and dismissal, but the position was cut because no students had walking listed in their approved transportation plans.
Students nevertheless use the crossing to attend library events and walk around town, she said. For middle schoolers, navigating the busy roadway can be a challenge.
“It looks like Frogger,” Brand said.
The concern extends to students at Kent School, the boarding school west of the intersection on Route 341.
“Definitely the teenagers—the Kent School kids—are part of the picture,” she said.
Brand said the school board had discussed options including volunteer crossing guards, a four-way stop and a traffic light. Any changes, however, would require coordination with other agencies.
“We’re opening it up to the hive mind to figure out what to do,” she said.
First Selectman Eric Epstein said he would arrange a meeting with representatives of the town, both schools and the state Department of Transportation to discuss possible improvements. Route 341 is a state road.
