Schools Open- Drive Carefully

The Port Jervis City Police Department is urging parents to teach their children some simple safety tips before they head back to school. On Tuesday, September 3, 2024, hundreds of children will be walking to and from school and school bus stops, many for the first time. Everyone who drives has a responsibility to be especially careful during this busy time of the year for our young students.

Hundreds of children are killed each year in collisions with motor vehicles and thousands more are severely injured. Children tend to be at greater risk during the back-to-school period because they tend to be thinking more about seeing old friends and new teachers than watching for cars and trucks. In addition, many children are nervous and are attending school for the first time.

The City of Port Jervis Police Department will be deploying our dedicated staff of School Crossing Guards at the following times and locations to enhance the safety of students walking to the Port Jervis Middle School and East Main Street Elementary School as follows: 

Port Jervis Middle School (Grade 6-8) Crossing Guard Posts: 7 am-8 am and 2 pm to 3 pm at the following intersections: 

  • Kingston Avenue/Hamilton Street, Kingston Avenue and Culvert Street

East Main Street Elementary School Crossing Guard Posts: 8 am-9 am and 3 pm to 4 pm at the following locations:

  • Intersection of East Main Street and Kingston Avenue and the intersection of East Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

To help protect children, parents, and adults are urged to educate our students with the following pedestrian safety tips provided by the AAA of New York:

  • Look all ways before crossing the street.
  • Cross only at corners and crosswalks.
  • Obey police officers, school crossing guards, and traffic signals
  • Watch for turning cars.
  • Be especially alert in bad weather.
  • Do not run or play near traffic.

 Motorists: 

  • Please drive with caution and obey school speed limits.
  • Don’t be distracted- Keep your eyes on the road and stay off your electronic devices while driving. Don’t text and drive.
  • Please yield the right of way to pedestrians in crosswalks.

Port Jervis City Police Officers will be deployed throughout the next several weeks to strictly enforce vehicle and traffic safety laws pertaining to speeding in school zones, distracted driving, yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks, and ensuring that motor vehicles are stopping for school buses when loading and discharging children.

Reduced Speed Limit in School Zones

Reduced speed limit school zones are located on Hamilton Street near the Port Jervis High School, Kingston Avenue near the entrance to the Port Jervis Middle School (former Anna S. Kuhl Elementary School complex), and on East Main Street at the new East Main Elementary School (former Port Jervis Middle School).

Patrols are financed through grant money provided by the New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee's Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (PTS) Police Traffic Services Grant designed to improve pedestrian and motorist safety and reduce traffic-related accidents.

Please help keep our children safe. Please redistribute this email. Thank you