From the BCCT:
Traffic near schools worries parents
By: MANASEE WAGH
Bucks County Courier Times
Teachers and students say they're shifting fairly smoothly into a new grade arrangement.
But all is not rosy at Morrisville schools, say some parents.
Since the district switched from three schools to two this year, several moms and dads at a recent school board meeting said they're concerned that traffic congestion between the schools could harm students who walk to school.
Wanda Kartal, who has a fifth-grader in the district and lives at the intersection of Grandview Avenue and West Palmer Street, said she sees "nonstop near-misses" every day.
"There's heavy traffic, and there's no crossing guard at that intersection. All those cars that were split up among three schools are now in one small area. It's dangerous for kids who have to walk," she said.
About 330 students in grades pre-K through 3 attend Grandview Elementary School on Grandview Avenue. Little more than one block away, 554 students attend grades four through 12 in a single building.
The district's third school, M.R. Reiter Elementary, is several blocks away but has been closed since December, when the furnace exploded and the building's already aged condition worsened.
The influx of cars causes Kartal to cringe as she sees younger children trying to stay out of the way of traffic every morning and afternoon, she said. She has started a "Petition for Safety" on Facebook and urged the district to apply to the federal program "Safe Routes to School," which helps communities implement safety measures for children walking to school. Kartal plans to give a packet of information about the program to the borough as well.
Patricia Manning-Doan and her son John Manning, a district parent, want the board to work on getting better safety and speed limit signs and more crossing guards close to schools.
One guard helps kids navigate the street in front of Grandview, and a safety officer helps children in grades four and five cross West Palmer Street in front of the high school. Other guards are stationed on school routes several blocks away.
Board President William Hellmann said the board would look into the problem, and suggested a few options to consider.
"We've got to sit down and speak to borough officials. Or why don't we stagger class start times for different grades at Grandview? Or we could make a driveway going all around the school (to relieve congestion in the front), but we'd need money for that."
He said parents had the same complaints about traffic when Reiter was open.
Nevertheless, families want to see a change as soon as possible.
"Going in and out of Grandview - you're taking your life in your hands," said Manning-Doan.September 25, 2009 2:20 AM-->
