Sun Prairie plans to change where it deploys crossing guards beginning Jan. 1, 2027, ending coverage at six intersections and reducing the number of guards at two others after a city police department safety review. The review examined traffic and safety conditions at crossing-guard locations, including pedestrian and vehicle volumes, road design, traffic controls, vehicle speeds, crash history and existing pedestrian infrastructure. City officials said the goal is to direct guards to places where they are most needed, not to reduce the program overall. Starting in 2027, the city will discontinue crossing guards at Columbus and Church; North and MacArthur; Brown Bear and O’Keeffe; Buena Vista and Walker; Grand Avenue and Blue Heron; and Windsor and North Thompson. Staffing will drop from two guards to one at Main and Walker and North Thompson and Pennsylvania. The city also plans interim changes for the remainder of 2026: the number of guards will fall from two to one at those two intersections, as well as at Grand Avenue and Blue Heron and Windsor and North Thompson. Those latter two locations are slated to lose guard coverage entirely in 2027. Police Chief Kevin Warych said the city expects the changes to maintain safety and will continue working with schools, monitoring results and making adjustments if needed. He said decisions were guided by objective information and the goal of protecting students and other pedestrians. More information about the program is available on the City of Sun Prairie’s website.