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Parents say kids in danger walking to school in Mayport Road area

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Parents claim their children are being put in life-threatening situations while walking to and from school.

There are multiple construction zones near Mayport Middle School that are closing off sidewalks.

Paul Crump has three children who go to schools off Mayport Road and he described their walk to school as being dangerous.

“No crossing guards. No police out here. Nobody is checking on them,” Crump said.

Portions of the sidewalk that students use to get to school are torn up and closed because of ongoing construction.

“I watch them cross in the middle of the road all the time. There is no other way to do it, and kids aren’t going to check the way adults check,” Crump said.

A spokesperson with the Florida Department of Transportation said that 14,400 cars travel the road daily.

With so much traffic, Atlantic Beach Mayor Ellen Glasser said she wants to work to get the speed limit reduced, especially near the middle school. Action News Jax clocked drivers traveling more than 60 mph in the area.

“It’s not good enough that kids are walking away from school in a 45 mph speed zone,” Glasser said.

Hunter Cope, 12, was hit and killed in the same area last March, while he was walking to Mayport Middle School.

“One death of a child is too many,” Glasser said.

Since Hunter's death, Glasser said nothing in the area has changed, but parents are begging for something to be done.

“It’s just a total disregard for our children’s safety,” Crump said.

FDOT is conducting a study to possibly add reduced speed and school zone signals and they are planning to install school entrance signs.

FDOT officials could not give Action News Jax an exact date these improvements would happen.