CAPE CORAL, Fla. -- Cape Coral is another step closer to improving school bus stop safety, Monday night approving hundreds of benches to be placed at bus stops across the city.
It's a joint partnership between the Cape Coral Rotary Club & Kiwanis. Now that the Cape Coral City council has approved the safe zone project, an order will be placed for 200 benches.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction, I don’t think it’s one solution,” said Nicole Thompson-Carey, Cape Coral Parent.
“I’m very happy, I’m very happy,” said Nicole Fitzpatrick, Cape Coral Parent.
It’ll take six weeks for the benches to be shipped after they are ordered Tuesday, “it’s more than just a bench, it’s identifying an area that kids can go to and be safe and the drivers can see it and be safe,” said Elmer Tabor, Chairman, Safe Zone Project, Cape Coral Rotary Club.
The move to implement the bus stop benches comes weeks after a driver hit and killed 8-year-old Layla Aiken.
Elmer Tabor from the Cape Coral Rotary Club says before the benches arrive they hope to have all the concrete slabs in place. It’ll be up to the city of determine where the locations will be.
“A lot of them out in northwest cape because they have very poor lighting, and from there just try to pick the spots that are the darkest,” said Mitch McCowen, Cape Coral Parent.
Parents I spoke with explained they have multiple kids at different bus stops across the cape.
“How can I be at two different bus stops at one time, so there has to be something there to protect the kids,” said Fitzpatrick.
“We have to work to support our children, and so we have faith we are putting them at bus stops that are well lit,” said Thompson-Carey.
The bus stops will also have reflective lighting. Money for this project is all donation based. Councilman David Stokes announcing he donated money for the first bench.
“I don’t know if the benches are going to be the answer or the permanent answer or just a step in the right direction, but it’s something," said Fitzpatrick.
Mayor Joe Coviello said this is just one spoke on the wheel and they will be conducting a safety study at these bus stops. The Safe Zone Project is planned to be complete by August.
