Parents became concerned about their children’s safety when they noticed vehicles were approaching school grounds at high speeds, making it dangerous for the students to cross the street, said Centerville City Schools Superintendent Tom Henderson.
Centerville police conducted a study on Sheehan Road to see if motorists were traveling too fast in the school zone. Instead, they discovered that the school zone began too close to the school for a road that has such a high volume of traffic.
“It was a perfectly legal crosswalk and school zone,” said John Davis, Centerville Police Department public information officer. “The problem we had is that traffic was right on top of the crosswalk when they slowed down to twenty (miles per hour).”
The city spent $18,000 dollars to extend the school zone to 300 feet, which is the maximum legal length. The city also installed new traffic signals with flashing lights farther away from the school to give drivers more time to slow down.
Weller Elementary also will continue to have staff present during the morning and afternoon to help students cross the street and get to their buses, said Henderson.
Police said the decision to add the new traffic signals was a preventative measure, and was a response to the increase in traffic over the years. They said they wanted to get the new signals up before school started to give motorists a chance to adjust to them.
“School zones don’t have to have flashing lights to be enforceable,” Davis said. “Let’s make sure we get kids to school safely.”
About the Author