Joe Giani's job keeps him around children.

"I have no grandchildren myself and I enjoy the little kids," Giani said Thursday morning.

A bus driver for the Rensselaer City School District, Giani's primary mission is to keep youngsters safe.

“This is what it is all about, transporting the kids. Parents want to know they are safe and they have a responsible person taking care of them.”

Following Thursday morning's route, Giani was back on the streets of his hometown preaching the gospel of safety.

"We're doing a crosswalk alert today," Giani told one driver he stopped in the street. "Slow down in a crosswalk."

Giani was joined by other volunteers and local police. The non-profit Capital Roots organized the event as part of its "See and Be Seen" safety campaign.

“It’s really about creating a more safe environment for pedestrians and bikers, and helping people understand the importance of walking safely, biking safely," said Capital Roots CEO Amy Klein.

With informational brochures in hand, the volunteers targeted busy crosswalk intersections like the one at Third Street and Washington Avenue.

“This is definitely one of our more busy intersections,” said Ketura Vics, the city’s assistant director of Planning and Development. "There is a daycare that uses this crosswalk a lot."

Quite often, Giani says drivers fail to slow down or stop for pedestrians, including young children.

"It's not once in awhile,” Giani said, “it happens every day.”

Capital Roots is hosting a second "See and Be Seen" event Friday in Cohoes. By shining a light on a frequent problem, Giani believes he can further his mission of protecting children.

"I believe it's a start and it can help,” Giani said.