Arlington Students Risking Their Lives On Walk To School
ARLINGTON (CBS 11 NEWS) - Every day before and after school Leslie Nunez, a ninth grader at Martin High School, cautiously walks across Kelly Elliott and I-20 in Arlington.
"It's kind of scary," says Nunez walking across the busy bridge. "Cars do come kind of close."
Dozens of students, like Nunez, cross the bridge where there is no shoulder, no sidewalk and no other option.
"Sometimes I have to get really close to the end there because I feel like someone might actually hit me if they are not careful," says Matt Leach, a sophomore at Martin High School.
The students dodge cars and try not to tumble over the thigh-high concrete wall.
"If a car accidentally swerves and hit the student they could easily end up on I-20," says parent Debbie Moore who won't let her ninth grader daughter walk to school.
The students don't get bus service because they live within two miles of the high school.
Recently the City of Arlington put up "No Pedestrians" signs, but it doesn't do anything for the students who have no other option but to cross the bridge to get to school.
"Until that bridge is widened, which is going take time," says Moore, "they need to give these kids in this area not eligible for the bus they have to provide them bus service."
In fact, Moore says what worries her even more is the students crossing the bridge in the moorings when it's darker.
She in the process of pushing the district for later school start times, possibly 8 a.m. or later.
She's even started a petition and is trying to get state lawmakers onboard.
The city of Arlington says changes are on the way but will take time.
It's planning on working with the Texas Department of Transportation to add sidewalks and a guard fence, but until that's done the city is asking Arlington ISD to offer busing for the students.
Tx-DOT will have to pay for the changes.
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