BY PAUL MITCHELL
North Country This Week

CANTON – Beginning in March, a new pedestrian routine for students attending Canton Central School will be implemented.

Citing safety concerns, both village and school officials collaborated to create pedestrian and vehicular improvements.

The new walking pattern will basically see all students cross State Street via the crossing guard at Banford Elementary School. Students coming from Farmer Street will no longer cross State Street there but will be directed across the top of Farmer Street to the Banford crossing.

“This will change the direction of student flow,” said Mayor Michael Dalton at Wednesday’s (Feb. 16) village board meeting.

Also, the traffic light hanging near the entrance to the school’s major parking lot will be changed from a red/green light to a flashing amber light.

The traffic light only affects southbound traffic. Motorists exiting the parking lot can not tell if the light is red or green, causing what officials claim is a safety hazard for both motorists and pedestrians.

The mayor also stated that school officials are looking at a possible setup - lighting on both ends of the school - similar to what is used by Norwood-Norfolk Central School on Rt. 56.