KALISPELL - School zones are a safety measure to ensure traffic doesn’t interfere with the kids' safety and sometimes changes need to be made to enhance safety.
“I like seeing the kids every day and seeing people I don't know wave as they go by. The kids just keep me coming back every year,” said Chrystal Shue.
Shue has been a crossing guard at the Evergreen School District for 26 years and her job is to get kids safely across US Highway 2.
“The traffic doesn't stop. I just think it's very important because traffic doesn't care,” said Shue.
Rain, shine or freezing temperatures, Shue is there to greet the kids and send them back home after a long school day.
“Seeing them say 'good morning' saying 'thank you' and talking with them and joking with them, yeah, it's been fun,” said Shue.
Shue has seen kids go from school children to having their own kids that she now helps across the busy intersection.
“That's how you know how old you are. When they have kids and they're all grown up. It's crazy how time flies,” said Shue.
While the crossing guards do help get the kids to and from school safely, the Evergreen School District and the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) are working together to improve safety at the busy intersection.
“We are working on whatever is going to be the most efficient ways to provide safe circumstances for the kids getting to school. Safety is one of our top priorities at the Montana Department of Transportation. We just want everyone getting home safely,” said MDT District Traffic Engineer Rebecca Franke.
MDT is currently working on lengthening the red lights to allow a longer crossing time for the kids.
The school zone speed sign on the north end reads 35 mph constantly with flashing lights and MDT will be changing out the confusing changing speed sign on the south end of the school zone.
“We have one changeable sign going northbound, so south of the school, which is 45 during the middle of the day and in the evenings and it's 35 when school is starting and ending. Recently, we were able to acquire the funding to also change out the sign going northbound so that they will match this coming year as soon as weather allows,” said Franke.
Until these changes can be implemented Shue will be out there making sure the kids are safe, "I jump out in there and just use my sign."
