ST. CLOUD, Fla. — An Osceola County crossing guard says traffic has increased near Lakeview Elementary School and hopes more can be done to make the situation safer for the kids, and for her.

“Traffic is thick, heavy,” said Deborah Bridges, who has worked as a crossing guard for four years. “People don’t care. They’ll run through the stop sign. I’ll be out there, they try to hit me. It’s just really crazy.”

What You Need To Know

  • Crossing guard Deborah Bridges says traffic has grown near Lakeview Elementary School in Osceola County

  • Bridges says vehicles will often not stop for her when she helps children cross

  • St. Cloud Police said they would patrol more often to deter problem drivers

  • Officials with the city of St. Cloud say they are evaluating whether to install a flashing school zone sign in front of Lakeview Elementary

Bridges said she wants to continue working as a crossing guard near Lakeview Elementary, because it's a good place to be.

“I enjoy being with the kids for sure," she said. "It’s just a nice, pleasant school to be at."

But traffic is becoming a problem, Bridges said.

“There was a car that ran over the tip of my sneaker, almost breaking my toes,” she said.

Notified of the concern, officials with the St. Cloud Police Department said they will increase patrols in the area.

Just a couple of weeks ago, St. Cloud Police and Bike/Walk Central Florida conducted a Best Foot Forward operation to remind drivers to stop for people in crosswalks near schools.

Drivers who don’t stop face a $164 fine and three points on their license.

“Good signage can help out, good striping, stop bars," said Best Foot Forward program manager Vince Dyer. "All those things make a crosswalk more visible to drivers.”

Bridges said she thinks better signs in front of Lakeview Elementary would help, too.

“I would like to see the blinking lights that tell you it’s time to go 15 (mph),” she said.

St. Cloud has hired a consultant to conduct a study on 5th Street to see what improvements are possible, and as a part of that study, officials say they are evaluating whether to install a flashing school zone sign in the area of Lakeview Elementary, a city spokesperson said.

The consultant’s report is expected to be completed by September, and then the St. Cloud City Council will decide.

Whether it’s her children or not, Bridges said she feels a sense of duty to keep students safe walking to and from school.

 “I feel very nervous, but I can’t let them see that,” she said.

If you’ve got a traffic trouble spot, fill out the easy-to-use form here.