The village of Panama briefly talked about the possibility of adding some sort of lights or buttons to the crosswalk in the village across from the school. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

PANAMA — Following the installation of a new crosswalk in the village, the village board has discussed if there is anything more that they can or should do to ensure pedestrian and child safety as they cross the street near Panama Central School.

Village Trustee Kim Davis brought up the issue during the August meeting, saying she sees multiple people not stopping for the crosswalk on her way to work.

“I’ll see people just waiting until there’s no traffic on them,” Davis said. “Isn’t the whole point of that meaning it’s a pedestrian right-of-way? So if someone is waiting at the end, you’re supposed to let them go.”

Davis asked if it had been looked into how expensive a flashing yellow light that a kid could push when trying to cross would be. Mayor William Schneider said he has had a discussion with the sheriff’s deputy over the summer after some people were witnessed “flying” down the hill, and that the sheriff’s department is working on a plan to spend some time in the village to catch the people coming too fast down the hill.

A state trooper sometimes sits in the village, and the board talked about approaching him as well. They also talked about how in places like Westfield a driver knows for sure that they are in a school zone with the amount of signs and everything in place there.

There are also more kids at Hyde Park in Panama, which sits across the road from the school, than there used to be, but Davis said she did not think they were even using the crosswalk as it is not functioning as it was meant to.

“That’s why I’m wondering, would a blinking light (help) if they had a button and it made those lights go on for 30 seconds so they could get across,” Davis said.

The board then talked looking into what that might cost, and that the obligations in having a crosswalk by the school has been met. Schneider noted that he was just glad they were able to have them.

“In prior times, the school fought us on that because they were concerned with liability,” Schneider said.

Davis said that was something she was concerned about with the issue as well, and it was said it would not hurt to ask to look into what the price for something like a light might be.