Although construction companies are required to maintain pedestrian and vehicular access under state law, they sometimes fail to do so, some crossing guard supervisors and building officials say. The companies also don't always inform a city's traffic and engineering department on start-up date changes after they've gained approval. And, if there are subcontractors involved, the chances of gaining detailed information are close to nil in many cases. Still, some municipalities do a better job coordinating than others. In St. Petersburg, a city staff member who reviews permits for traffic detours works directly with the supervisor of school crossing guards, well before construction begins.
Coordination is easy because both work for the city.
And significant problems are rare. In other parts of the county, in comparison, coordination might be more difficult because of the number of government entities involved - such as the sheriff's office, which oversees crossing guards for unincorporated areas of the county and many cities, and the county's public works department. The county says it does its best to make accommodations for children when it undertakes new road projects, such as two now under way, the Bryan Dairy Road extension and the widening of County Road 1, said Jim Collins, transportation division engineer. Sometimes, extra police officers may be hired to make sure students don't stray from designated detours to explore construction sites. But even in the projects Collins cited, there's been confusion.