As parents check off their back-to-school supply list, the City of San Antonio is marking off its year-round to-do list for school zones.
The School Pedestrian Safety Initiative consists of year-round comprehensive and scheduled maintenance of the city's school zones.
"This is focused on providing safe walkways for our students—some of our most vulnerable citizens," said Kyle Horstman, a TCI operations supervisor.
There are 1,082 school zones across the city. Signage is replaced in about 210 of them each year to ensure they can be seen by motorists. Out of over 2,300 school zone crosswalks, about 800 of them are re-striped every year. And out of 1,025 flashing lights across the city, batteries and lights are proactively replaced in about 205 on a yearly basis.
"Based on the life cycle of the material, and the components and infrastructure that's used, that's how we've created that yearly maintenance program to hopefully address any deficiencies in it before it becomes deficient," Horstman said.
Many school zone signs fade over time by taking a beating from the hot Texas sun.
"We are hoping that by replacing it every five years, we can be in front of it fading and not be invisible to motorists," Horstman said.
The crosswalks may look like they are painted, but they are actually made of one of two materials – preform and thermoplastic – that make them as reflective as possible.
"There's glass beads in there and they are specifically designed so when a headlight hits it, it should be shining back at the headlight so it stands out," Horstman said.
The city has a plan for school zones without flashing lights as well.
"About five to 10 schools per year are getting upgraded to a flashing zone," Horstman said.
The city also needs your help. If you see a sign that needs replacing, they want to know about it. You can call 311, or use the 311SA smartphone app.
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