More than 60 crosswalks across Harris County Precinct 4 will receive a makeover while students are away for spring break.

What residents need to know

Harris County Precinct 4 commissioner Lesley Briones launched the spring break portion of Crosswalks 4 Precinct 4 during a March 6 news conference in front of Morton Ranch High School.

“From restriping crosswalks to upgrading traffic signals and rebuilding sidewalks, we are investing in safer streets for our children and families,” Briones said in a March 6 news release. “Safety does not take a break, and neither does your county government. At the end of the day, our goal is to keep your family safe.”

The specifics

The project—which will repaint crosswalks, curbs and stop sign road markings—produces just over $171,000 worth of upgrades for crosswalks in 12 “high-traffic school zones” detected from crash data and community input, officials said.

Project locations include:

Alief ISD

Holub Middle SchoolAlief Taylor High SchoolPetrosky Elementary SchoolAlbright Middle SchoolCy-Fair ISDKaty ISDGolbow Elementary SchoolMorton Ranch Elementary SchoolMorton Ranch High SchoolT.H. McDonald Junior High SchoolCharter schoolsCalvin Nelms Charter SchoolsSchool of Science and Technology AdvancementInternational Leadership of Texas, Westpark K-8

“>

Additionally, Briones is collaborating with Houston Mayor John Whitmire and council member Abbie Kamin to install advanced technological crosswalks with push-button activated flashing beacons and accessible ramps throughout Houston, including at Houston ISD’s Sinclair Elementary, financed by $60,000 in funding from Kamin, per the release.

Diving in deeper

Briones, a mother of three and a former teacher, said safety is her “top priority” and emphasized the need to address safety issues, especially in high-injury network corridors such as the area near Morton Ranch High School.

“We know along this 1 mile of Morton Ranch, near the Morton Ranch High School, there have been three deaths and approximately 19 serious injuries over a five-year period—that is three deaths and 19 injuries too many,” Briones said.

Henry Azie, a sophomore at Morton Ranch, said how important making these improvements can be for students who encounter them daily.

“Repainting the crosswalks may seem like a small change, but for students who walk to school across the street every day, it makes a big difference,” Azie said.

In case you missed it

Precinct 4 previously completed crosswalks for Cy-Fair, Katy, Tomball, Alief and Waller independent school districts during winter break, Community Impact reported.

Moving forward

The crosswalks are all set to be completed by the end of spring break, weather permitting, Briones said.