Fort Worth – In a bustling part of the city’s westside, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Fort Worth District, the Fort Worth Police Department and Zachry Construction Corporation partnered with White Settlement Independent School District to unveil a new safety‑education initiative for elementary students.
Zone Ranger safety ambassadors
The ceremony, held at Blue Haze Elementary, introduced the “Partners In Safety: It Takes Us All” program. Fifth‑grade students were sworn in as the inaugural class of Zone Ranger safety ambassadors, receiving a pledge administered by Zachry executives. The young ambassadors immediately began deputizing their classmates, urging safe driving practices in construction work zones and on everyday roads.
Fort Worth Police officers from the Motorcycle Unit joined the celebration, and the Brewer High School drum line provided a musical salute. The event highlighted the growing need for traffic safety along the 20‑30 corridor, a major expansion project west of downtown that has already accelerated its schedule by fifteen months, according to TxDOT Fort Worth District Engineer David Salazar, P.E.
Why the program matters
“Rapid growth necessitated the 20‑30 corridor expansion,” Salazar said. “We accelerated the project timeline and are now ahead of schedule. Our families live and work in this corridor, so we need the traveling public’s help to keep everyone safe.” He emphasized that the safety message is a family effort: “Phones down, eyes up, no speeding, and stay alert for work‑zone signs and workers.”
Travis Mross, president of Zachry Construction, echoed the sentiment, noting that safety is a responsibility that extends beyond job sites into the surrounding community. “Every day, families travel through active work zones as crews are working just feet away from traffic. Keeping those areas safe requires awareness from everyone.”
Police data underscores driver behavior problem
Fort Worth Police West Commander Jason Spencer pointed to crash data that shows driver inattention, speeding and unsafe lane changes as the top factors in work‑zone crashes throughout Tarrant and Parker counties. “We have a driver‑behavior problem, and we need everyone’s help to fix it,” Spencer said.
To amplify the safety message, TxDOT’s Northwest Texas Communications Director Shawna Russell Jones explained that the agency reached out to White Settlement ISD to create a new, community‑focused partnership. “We wanted to do even more. Partnering with the school district lets us spread safety messages in an exciting way.”
School leaders welcome the partnership
White Settlement ISD Superintendent Frank Molinar expressed enthusiasm for the project, noting that the new construction and roadway improvements will positively impact local families. Blue Haze Principal John Hebert added that students will play a pivotal role in carrying safety messages throughout the community, helping them develop safe‑driving habits that will last into adulthood.
When asked about the day’s events, students proudly recited the Zone Ranger pledge: “We all create safe roads together! When we remind adults ‘slow down and phones down,’ we help them drive safely! Be safe, like Zach, the Zone Ranger!”
The “Partners In Safety” program reflects a collaborative effort among government, law‑enforcement, industry and education to protect the growing westside corridor. By empowering young students as safety ambassadors, the initiative aims to reduce crashes, protect workers and ensure families can travel home safely.
Original reporting: Fort Worth Report — read the source article.
