The uncertain permanent replacement of malfunctioning crosswalk lights in front of the Salmon Bay K-8 School has some parents worried about the safety of their children.

The Seattle Department of Transportation recently removed the blinking warning lights in front of the school on Northwest 65th Street between 18th and 19th avenues because the telephone pager mechanism used to program the lights was not reliable, said Wayne Wentz, a traffic manager for the city.

Parents have been petitioning the city to hurry and replace the lights, said Patty Lott, co-chair of the Salmon Bay Middle School Parent Teacher Association.

Another company has offered to let the city test its product for six months and if the new technology works well, the city could buy them, said Wentz. The new lights are expected to be functioning by the end of the year.

Lott said parents wouldn't be happy until they see the lights flashing again.

But crosswalk lights are not federally required even though they seem to be effective in getting drivers to slow down, said Wentz. 'Speed Limit 20 When Children Are Present' signs are the standard method of signing a school crosswalk on an arterial in Seattle.

"There will always be a crosswalk there," said Wentz. "The difference is in the level of warning. We will continue to work to make school crosswalks safe."

An incident last year that left a young boy permanently brain damaged when he was hit by a car on 15th Avenue Northwest serves as a reminder for parents to just how dangerous it is to be a pedestrian on busy arterials, said Lott.

Many of Salmon Bay's 600 students walk to school. Visibility is already an issue on 65th because of parking on both sides of the two-lane street and traffic.

"It's kind of a nightmare waiting to happen," said Lott. "Somebody's going to get killed or really hurt in front of that school."

Wentz said traffic volumes on 65th have not significantly increased during the last few years, staying steady at about 13,500 cars per day. Parents insist the flashing beacons are necessary, especially when the weather is bad.

Ballard resident Peggy Sturdivant said she often sees drivers not paying attention to students and other pedestrians waiting to cross at the crosswalk.

"It's still news when a pedestrian dies, but it isn't news how close that comes to happening nearly every day in supposedly neighborhood sections of the city," said Sturdivant. "We are all very aware that sometimes the most dangerous crossings are where signage has been changed or removed."

The lights near Salmon Bay and several other schools were installed by the city in 2005 for about $15,000 each to improve safety on school walking routes. Maintenance fees have run several thousand dollars a year, said Wentz.

Lott said the parent group is prepared to do what it takes to support pedestrian issues, even if that means staging a protest.

"This is not a lay down and take it parent group," said Lott. "This is a bunch of activists waiting to happen. If we re trying to encourage kids to walk to school, they need to make it safer, not more dangerous."

Rebekah Schilperoort may be reached at 783.1244 or rebekahs@ballardnewstribune.com