No amount of money can fix stupid....MBHammer is right.....people running at the last minute and assuming that their schedule is more important than everyone else's will ruin any type of safety device you can put in place. Seems easier and cheaper to me to simply increase the police presence around schools during drop-off and pick-up times.

The bus had stopped,the truck passed the bus on the right.This has nothing to do with the kids crossing and everything to do with the truck making a illegal pass.Take a look at the cars stopped in the photo...The way I was taught is you stop far enough behind car in front so you can see their back tires....Why? Less chance of a chain reaction if car behind is rear ended. Looks to me as at least 5 drivers in picture themselves didn't follow the rules of the road.Just like the truck driver that hit this child IN a CROSSWALK !

As normal, Janesvillean has a big dollar amount taxpayer funded strategy for solving a problem that is due to lack of personal responsibility. I'm surprised he hasn't yet recommended a pedestrian overpass or tunnel. As others have noted, how about if already working city police are stationed in school zones occasionally. Write tickets when drivers aren't following rules ALREADY in existence. We need better drivers, we can't possibly fix every area with accident possibilities with tax money.

I honestly believe God placed Sigma40 on Earth to keep us all from discussing anything that might actually solve a problem.
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There are, as it happens, many engineering solutions possible. One of them would be curb "bump-outs" that narrow the driving lanes. This actually psychologically cues drivers to slow down so they can make it through the narrow space. It also prevents anyone from sneaking through in the parking lane, which is how many pedestrians get caught unaware in multi-lane crossings. The second benefit is that it offers pedestrians a safe refuge that is much closer, either to run forward or back up to where they were, and a shorter visual range for the crossing itself, helping focus their attention where it needs to be.
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Another option would be a raised or differently colored pavement treatment, another way that drivers will pay more attention and slow down.
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Ultimately we can always fall back on signage, lights, and other technological solutions, but these are less effective overall and help deaden drivers' attention at all other signalized or signed locations.

Sigma, tell whoever is reading you the articles to read you the whole article so you are less likely to sound like an idiot when you post your blather. None of the children in the picture is the child who was hit so your connection to poorly dressed children darting into the road makes no sense. The child who was hit( and no where in the article does it say what she was wearing) patiently waited to cross the street. When traffic on both sides stopped she was motioned across. The truck who illegally went around the stopped bus would have not been visable to the child who was legally crossing at a cross walk. Your ignorance shines through everytime your helper types these posts for you. You really should fire them ya know!

Sigma... your "kind of like a golden rule" does not apply to roads that are not divided by white dashed stripes to make it 4 lanes at an intersection in which you so-called EVERY intersection has 4 lanes. So unless the road is divided by white dashed stripes, there is NO "true 4 lane" as you mention. Would you like to make a wager that your comment on the fact that every intersection has 4 lanes is false? I understand what you are getting at, but don't assume every intersection has 4 lanes unless there's a white dashed stripe splitting the two lanes. "people that are improperly dressed and freezing are going to be in more of a hurry and not take the time to act safe." Did you gather a study on this? That comment is laughable. The article stated "No accidents have been reported there in the past four years, Olsen said, but the city has received complaints about speeding there." SPEEDING! School zones are 15 MPH when children present. I also tend to agree with MBHammer... such people are in such a hurry these days. What's the rush? If I were to have a say in this... I would be suspending the drivers license from anybody that hits any pedestrian when violating traffic rules regardless of any injury or not along with a stiff fine/penalty.

Coppertop - people that are improperly dressed and freezing are going to be in more of a hurry and not take the time to act safe.
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As for 4 lanes, yes, 2 you drive in and 2 you park in. The area where you park in is the other 2 lanes. Its not a "law", its kind of like the golden rule that if you are on a true 4 lane and in the left and someone comes up behind you, you should pull over and let them go by.....this is common courtesy of the road and common sense unwritten rules that people have forgot about.... or they are just too stupid. If you lock up an intersection waiting for a turn....move over to that side so people can go around you...in "the other lane". Durrr.

Sigma, who gives a fan f what the kids wear to school. This article isn't about dress code. It's about an accident and discussion over crosswalk issues. Would you be complaining if I told you I sleep in the buff because I'm not up to par with your standards of living? Give it a rest. I've seen so many post from you in which they are so off base it's comical. You don't seem to get facts straight before you spew nonsense on the forums. (4 lanes at every intersection? Learn the rules of the road before you learn to drive) Yes, I'm calling you out so you can stay focused on the subject of the article before you make such a fool of yourself. Have a nice day.

Illegal acts committed with motor vehicles are innumerable and the excuses for such seem to be just as innumerable.
Couple that with the fact that there are no background checks before people can get possession of something that weighs over 4000 pounds and can go over 100mph and you have some real problems.

Sounds like a clear case of people not knowing how to intelligently planning their day or not knowing how to set an alarm clock. Maybe that's why some phones are called smart phones because people are not. I plan my day, cruise calmly and safely stress free to my destinations. People ought to try it.

Don't know if a crossing guard is the answer. I have done the corner of Bond and Crosby. I know that some drivers just don't stop for my stop sign. I have had drivers drive through it just like any other stop sign. Seems they are in a big hurry. I always made sure that cars are stopped before letting students cross. I know I almost got hit a couple of things.

If everyone dressed like the people in the pic, even the girl has a light shirt on holding her coat in her arms....I would be in a hurry to cross the street too. It was very cold when that pic was taken. Who cares if they have gym class last period...its still cold out.
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Ive also driven through there a lot when school is out, people dont abide by the speed limits at all. I still blame the kid though... they need to be accountable for their own actions. Assuming a car will stop is just stupidity. You wait and make sure its safe before you cross the street. I learned this before i was in school.

How about a roundabout AND a ped/bike tunnel put in there ?

This driver only got a ticket???
I could see just getting a ticket if no one was hurt, but injuring someone in the commission of an illegal act and only a ticket???
Oh, I know, it's an "accident", right?
Funny that word only seems to apply when illegal acts are committed with motor vehicles.

What do the witnesses say that saw this happen?
Investigation results?
Why is motor vehicle violence treated differently than other forms of violence?
If what Mike said is true, I'd say a solid year in jail would be in order.

We need tougher drunk driving laws!This truck driver runs down a poor little girl and only gets a ticket? It should be a felony! Ten years in prison min.

Really people get over the clothing issue. I cannot speak for the kids in this picture because I don't know them, and guess what either do any of you, but I do know my son has phy-ed last hour. By the time they are released they only have enough time to run through the showers if that, basically get wet and move on. He comes out of the school still in his gym clothes, gets in my nice warm car and goes home to shower properly. Some people are just not bothered by the cold as others. Coming outside with wet hair however would be much worse then coming out in shorts and a coat.

I would feel really dumb if those were my kids dressed in shorts and plastered across the paper for all to see. Isn't there a dress code/expectation for winter? Where are their hats? I know this isn't what the article is about but it's really hard not to notice this. Appropriate winter clothing is definitely a safety issue too.

Sigma40 What is wrong with you? you comment the Newtown shootings were staged and now this ignorant comment How a child dresses has nothing to do with safety.. This is a plainly marked crosswalk and DRIVERS need to YIELD to the anyone in ANY crosswalk. One child hit in it and it is a problem how insane is that? Well Obey the laws and it would not be a problem. This was the drivers fault!!!!!!

Of course the troll is out in full force making irrational statements. In a world were imaginary lanes exist, I wonder if there are imaginary police who ticket those passing illegally in those imaginary lanes. Thank you for proving you are one of those who do not know how to drive. It is clear that you spout your nonsense because that is the only way you can get any attention.

" there are 4 lanes at every intersection"

sigma...educate yourself.

I had to say it even though I know it's a lost cause.

"Nothing irritates me more than"

people like sigma who are so ignorant to the facts that they can't see themselves.

Part of the problem in my opinion is that people do not pay attention to what is going on when their driving. Next there needs to be more enforcement of the traffic laws around the schools because if a person driving dose not see a cop they will not obey the signs around the schools. There should definitely be a crossing guard at that location wit the amount of traffic that is around there during school hours. Finally I think in my opinion is people need to quit being in such a hurry and pay attention to what is going on around them while they are driving.

Sigma - what a insensitive and idiotic thing to say about tweenage and teenage kids in the photo. I'm assuming you don't have any kids as if you did you'd know that this is how boys are dressing these days. You need to find a outlet for your rage with life and quit putting your thoughtless opinions in type. Maybe you could go volunteer to be the crossing guard at this intersection...

Why are there kids walking across the street in the dead of winter wearing shorts? If these kids dont have the common sense to dress right how can we expect them to not run in front of moving vehicles? I see a severe lack of common sense...and the gazette even photographed it....lol. too funny.

How many years has the intersection not been a problem?
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And people... there are 4 lanes at every intersection. People just dont realize it. If you are turning left you stay towards the center so people can pass you on the right....hence "4 lanes". This is why there is no parking like 100 feet from all corners.
Its also common courtesy when turning right or left to pull to that side so the car behind you can go around. Nothing irritates me more than someone turning left and has to wait and wait, yet they are in the middle of the road so anyone turning right or going straight is stuck there. Learn to drive people.

where's all the gun "nuts"? how would "packing" alleviate this situation?

MikeF,s comment is a good one. Perhaps, if Janesville's police would put in a strong effort to enforce traffic laws all over the city (and put in a greater effort to obey them themselves as well since setting good examples does work), we'd have fewer accidents throughout the city. But at minimum they should increase patrolling of school zones immediately and permanently.

Well said Mike. That was my first comment about the article. There are NOT four lanes where that cross walk is, there are only 2. Impatient people constantly make lanes that do not exist because they are in too much of a hurry to get somewhere. If someone is trying to turn into the circle drive at the school, people constantly go around them making the turning car a blind spot and hazard. When my children attended that school I rerouted my direction so that I did not have to turn across any oncoming traffic. My youngest is now at Parker and just so I can avoid the congestion from Franklin and Parker, I go out Memorial to Austin rd so that I can come in from the back side and not have to turn into on coming traffic. The other thing about this article is the parents who wave their kids across. Unless you are standing in the middle of the road physically stopping traffic, do not wave your children across because drivers may not see you or your child with the amount of cars parked on both sides of the road. I am not saying parents should be out stopping traffic like this, i am saying, if you are not willing to put yourself out in the line of fire, why would you send your children out in the line of fire? In this case, the problem is not the crosswalk, the problem was the driver and as long as people are on the roads in a hurry not paying attention, nothing is going to be fool proof.

People overestimate their driving skills.

Mike, you beat me to the punch, its a perfectly safe crossing when motorists are paying attention. speeding is a problem? duh its down the street from a high school what do you expect? have some police sit near there to do their paperwork, that usually slows the kids down

There are not 4 lanes on Crosby in front of the school. Look at the photo closely. Look at google maps street view or aerial view. Between this crosswalk and Mineral Point, the northbound lanes split into two to provide a turning lane. Other than that, it is only 1 lane in each direction. If there were 4 lanes you would see the painted white dashed line marking the lanes. These markings are not there, so the 2nd lane in each direction do not exist.
The truck was totally in the wrong as they decided to pass stopped traffic on the right, on the shoulder/gutter of the street.
While kids do tend to dart out into traffic, this was not the case here. Traffic was stopped in both directions in the lanes of traffic. The pedestrian was using the marked crosswalk. An impatient driver decided to deviate from the driving lane in an unsafe manner and struck the student.
There is not a need for a crossing guard. There is not a need to remove this crosswalk. What is needed is more police presence in school zones enforcing the existing laws. Hand out a few fines and you will see driving improve greatly.

The way people drive around the school is dangerous. They are going too fast and don't pay attention, but kids are kids and are unpredictable they can run out in front of a vehicle at any time without notice. Slow down! Pay attention! Police presence may help as well.