After three students were hit in crosswalks near two Caldwell schools in the last two months, city leaders say student safety is now a top priority. Watch: Learn about the city's plans to improve pedestrian safety Caldwell acts after 3 students hit in school zone crosswalksI take these things very serious, because it's our community and I want people to be safe, especially when they're just trying to get to and from school, said Caldwell Mayor Eric Phillips.Phillips said the city and the school district have been working together for weeks to address what he described as reckless driving near school zones.RELATED | Two Caldwell students hit by cars near schools in separate morning crashesThe tough part is no matter what we put in ... We need drivers to pay attention, Phillips said. Despite the addition of flashing school zone lights and rectangular rapid flashing beacons at several crosswalks, multiple students were still hit while heading to school.We are trying to address it in every way we can think of as reasonable, said Bruce Mills, Caldwells deputy public works director of transportation.RELATED | Back-to-back student accidents raise alarm over school zone safety in CaldwellMills said the city is upgrading lighting and pavement markings at every school zone crosswalk and plans to install a pedestrian hybrid beacon, also known as a HAWK light, at the intersection of Indiana Avenue and Fair Oaks Drive in the coming months.It's almost like a hybrid stop sign, Mills said. The HAWK lights red signal would stop traffic and better alert drivers to pedestrians. The system costs about $50,000 per set. City officials are also considering raised crosswalk curbs, which could cost up to $10,000.RELATED | "Thats kind of ridiculous: Mother decries repeated crosswalk crashes near Caldwell HighI clearly have to be conscious of the budget because taxpayer dollars are sacred. So is safety, right? Phillips said.As the city waits for the HAWK light to be installed, Phillips said officials will continue monitoring crosswalks and make additional changes as needed to improve safety for students and the community. For Canyon County happenings, news, and more join our Facebook Group: 2C Neighborhood News - Nampa, Caldwell, MiddletonThis story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less