The City Council could approve a crosswalk on the south side of the intersection of West Carter and North Washington Street when they meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Members of the city’s Traffic Safety Commission voted unanimously at Tuesday’s meeting to recommend the creation of a crosswalk there after Assistant Police Chief Kenneth Jefferson said his department had no objection to the request.

City Councilman David Carabajal made the initial request at a recent council meeting. He asked that the TSC look at possibly creating crosswalks at that intersection and at the one just north of there, where West Walton Street crosses North Washington.

“I can see the need for one at Washington and Carter,” Jefferson said, “because of the businesses at that location.”

“But at Washington and Walton, I don’t see the foot traffic at that location,” Jefferson said.

TSC chairman Elden Price questioned the wisdom of placing a crosswalk in an area that is heavily traveled and where vehicles are driving at 30 mph.

Then Jefferson reminded him that 30 mph is the same speed limit for neighborhood traffic.

Commissioner Marie Herrera, who owns a business on the southeast corner of the Washington and Carter intersection, said she thought a crosswalk would be a good idea. She said many pedestrians cross Washington Street going from her business to the Church’s Fried Chicken restaurant on the southwest corner of the intersection.

“I’m one of them,” she said.

City Secretary Tomas P. Saenz reminded the commissioners that even if the City Council approves the crosswalk, the final decision of whether to allow it will have to come from the Texas Department of Transportation because North Washington Street is also the U.S. Highway 181 Business Route. The highway is maintained by the state.

Herrera made the motion to recommend passage of the Carter Street crosswalk and to deny the request for the Walton Street crossing.

TSC member Fernando Galvan seconded the motion and it passed without opposition.

Commissioners also had questions about a request from the staff of the St. Mary’s Academy Charter School to close the 600 block of East Steiner Street from 7:30 a.m. until 4:40 p.m. on school days.

A resident of the 800 block of East Gramman Street, Thomas Healey, objected to the closing of the block, saying it would complicate driving for people living in that area.

“I’m a little surprised that this request comes up at this time,” Healey said.

He reminded the commissioners that school officials decided some time back to build a kindergarten facility north of the existing campus and across the street from its cafeteria. “I would have thought it would have been better planned,” Healey said.

“Public streets are public streets except for extraordinary circumstances,” Healey commented.

“As it is right now, school traffic dominates those streets before and after school,” Healey said. He is concerned about the safety of the children, saying that from the time they are born, children are encouraged to stay out of the street because it is dangerous. Now, he said, children will be taught that it is all right to cross a street without supervision.

He said children attending the St. Philip’s Episcopal School cross the intersection at East Corpus Christi and North Adams streets all the time for recreation at Klipstein Park and North Adams Street has never been closed.

He said adults at the school provide supervision when the children cross the street.

Price and Commissioner Cherokee Saldiva both said they would have to abstain from voting on the issue because they are members of the St. Mary’s board of trustees.

Galvan suggested that he might have to abstain as well because he has a child who attends the school.

“I don’t like streets being closed,” said Commissioner Jerry Daniels. “Are we putting kids out there without supervision?”

Galvan then said the eventual goal of the academy is to have its entire campus on its property north of Steiner Street and that will end the need to close the street. He said the only reason the entire school is not on the north side of the street now is because the school is building its new facilities one piece at a time.

“Let’s go ahead and close it,” Galvan said and told fellow commissioners that he would not be abstaining from the vote.

He made a motion to grant the request and Herrera seconded it.

Galvan and Herrera then voted in favor of the motion while Price and Saldiva abstained and Daniels voted against.

The matter is expected to go before the City Council for its approval on June 23.

In addition, the council will be asked to approve a list of stop sign installations at some intersections across the city that also were recommended by the commission.