As students and parents prepared for back-to-school, the City’s Public Works Department prepared as well. Public Works staff programmed the 91 school zone flashers, updated the recommended walking route maps for elementary schools and touched up the paint on crosswalks where needed. In addition, the following school-related improvements were completed before school started Aug. 22:
- Raised crosswalk at Reed Middle School
“Reed’s car line picks up students at the school’s front door on Lyon Street, but this is also where many students and teachers cross the street to get to the parking lot across the street. It is not ideal to cross students through the moving car line, so we decided that a raised crosswalk would help slow traffic and remind drivers to check for pedestrians crossing before moving on. The raised crosswalk not only helps the school traffic issue, but may also reduce some of the speeding on Lyon Avenue,” said Traffic Safety Specialist Mandy Buettgen-Quinn.
The Woodland Heights Neighborhood Association and Reed Middle School approached Public Works about the concern and worked with Buettgen-Quinn to implement the new crosswalk. - New dismissal procedure at Sequiota Elementary to shorten backup onto Mentor Avenue
- Parkcrest Neighborhood Traffic Calming Pilot Project on Broadway Avenue near Horace Mann Elementary
- Bike lanes added in front of Boyd Elementary School
- New pedestrian-activated crosswalk on Catalpa Street near Pittman Elementary.