Back to School Safety Tips

Published on August 14, 2025

School is back in session and the Albany Police Department (APD) would like to remind the community that it is extremely important that anyone traveling near schools take proper safety precautions. To help Albany residents remain safe, APD would like to share some safety tips, whether traveling by foot or on wheels.

Traveling in School Zones During Drop-off and Pick-up Hours

• Adhere to school policies and procedures for dropping off and picking up students. Do not double-park or block driveways.
• For parents with children walking or biking to school, teach them safe walking and riding behaviors, such as looking both ways before crossing the street, using sidewalks when available, and crossing at marked crosswalks with stop signs or signals.

Safe Driving

• Drivers should be extra cautious on the roads. Look carefully for pedestrians and bicyclists. Obey all traffic laws, including speed limits, at all times. Pedestrians have the right of way at any crosswalk or intersection, so yield and be prepared to stop.
• Avoid blocking the crosswalk when making a right-hand turn.
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys very carefully.
• Stay alert and avoid distracted driving.

Safe Cycling

• Wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet and check your equipment. Before riding, inflate tires properly and check that your brakes work. When you ride in the street, obey all traffic signs, signals, and lane markings.
• When turning left or right, always look behind you for a break in traffic, then signal before making the turn.
• Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, and in single file.
• Stay alert and avoid distracted riding.
• For parents with students, teach your child the rules of the road and practice riding the bike route to school with your child.

Safe Walking

• Only cross the street at corners or crosswalks. Stand clear of buses, hedges, parked cars, or other obstacles before crossing so drivers can see you.
• While you should do whatever you can to increase your visibility, do not walk into a crosswalk assuming that the oncoming vehicle can see you. It’s best to wait to be sure the vehicle stops.
• Walk on the sidewalk, if one is available. When on a street with no sidewalk, walk on the side facing traffic.
• Stay alert and avoid distracted walking.
• For parents with students, review your family’s walking safety rules and practice walking to school with your child.

Albany Crossing Guard Information

The Albany Police Department has been working with All City Management Services (ACMS), our crossing guard vendor, and the Albany Unified School District to prepare for the start of school. See the crossing guard schedule below.

Crossing Guard Schedule

Mondays/Tuesdays/Thursdays/Fridays

• 7:50 AM-8:35 AM
• 1:20 PM-2:00 PM
• 2:55 PM-3:35 PM

Wednesdays

• 7:50 AM-8:35 AM
• 1:20 PM-2:20 PM

*Please note that the first week of school the crossing guards will be following a Wednesday schedule.

While we anticipate crossing guards will be in place, we cannot always guarantee their presence, so please continue to use caution while walking, scooting, and biking to school, particularly when crossing busy street intersections.