The current crosswalk, installed in early 2024, has limited signage and no signals.
HOUSTON — Lamar High School students use a crosswalk to navigate busy Westheimer Road at Eastside Street. It’s a potentially treacherous task that left a 15-year-old with non-life-threatening injuries on Tuesday afternoon.
Video shared with KHOU 11 News showed him waiting on traffic to stop before crossing when an SUV that failed to stop struck him. Houston police said the 85-year-old driver was cited for failure to yield the right of way.
“Obviously, Westheimer is one of the busiest roads we have in Houston, and we’ve seen numerous near misses,” a neighbor who didn’t want to be identified said.
The neighbor has feared someone might get hurt or killed since the fairly new crosswalk, which has limited signage and no signal, was put in.
“I think this crosswalk is totally unsafe,” the neighbor said. “I think it never should have been installed.”
A photo courtesy of Council Member Mary Nan Huffman’s office shows the crosswalk installation in early 2024, when a series of concerns were initially raised. But records suggest it was the result of a request by Lamar’s principal, which required no community notice since it’s in a school zone.
“The safety of our children should be our number one priority,” Huffman said.
Huffman believes school administrators were well-intentioned but that the current design doesn’t cut it.
“Either the crosswalk needs to be removed or it needs flashing lights, things to get people’s attention,” Huffman said.
The crossing at the intersection of nearby River Oaks Boulevard in front of Lamer is considered much safer, and there’s also a pedestrian crosswalk with a traffic signal between the school and Kirby Drive.
“It would be much safer for the students just to be directed by someone from HISD to walk to those crosswalks and cross them,” the concerned neighbor said.
Students and others are encouraged to be extra cautious while HISD police plan to increase visibility during arrival and dismissal.
“And for drivers, school is back in session,” Huffman said. “So slow down, not just in our school zones but in our neighborhoods, too.”
Late Wednesday, we got an update from Mayor John Whitmire’s office regarding changes he’ll be making immediately, as well as a statement from HISD.
“After learning that an SUV hit a student near Lamar High School, this afternoon, Mayor John Whitmire visited the intersection of Eastside and Westheimer where the incident happened.
“The mayor agrees the current crosswalk design is flawed and has directed Houston Public Works to begin the process to install a High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK). This system will allow students to activate a red light for safe crossing.
“Mayor Whitmire has also instructed the Houston Police Department to work with Houston ISD and METRO Police to strengthen traffic enforcement in the area.
“There will be HPD traffic enforcement officers there starting today until the end of the week. They will then collaborate with other law enforcement agencies to keep a steady presence.
“Since taking office, Mayor Whitmire has raised concerns about the lack of traffic enforcement across Houston. To address this, he has partnered with METRO and other local law enforcement agencies (and DPS for freeway traffic enforcement) to ensure a comprehensive approach to protecting motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and everyone who uses our streets.”
“HISD’s top priority is the safety and security of all students in and around campus areas. Although the crosswalk at the intersection of Westheimer and Eastside Streets is maintained by the City of Houston, HISD Police will be increasing patrol visibility in the area during arrival and dismissal times to help raise awareness and keep students safe. This may include traffic warnings and enforcement as needed.
The District continues to work closely with our law enforcement partners and the City of Houston to ensure the safety of our students.”
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