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Elementary School
Corridor Concept Plan:
Here is an initial concept drawing for Union
Street in front of Lakeway Elementary (click the picture for a larger view), based on meetings with adjacent
stakeholders. Read below to see some of the issues that have surfaced
from these discussions.
The drawing shows a colored, textured paving on the shoulders, creating
a "safe drop off zone" in front of the school, on both sides
of the street. These would also serve to alert passing drivers to slow
down. Crosswalk improvements are shown in front of the school, where there
is a bump-out to shorten the crossing distance, and at Pine Street. |
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Pick Up / Drop Off Congestion:
Logistical issues surrounding student pick up and drop off are perhaps the schools
biggest concern. In the morning, there is not enough room for parents to pull
in and drop off their children, creating a gridlock situation. In the afternoon,
there is no defined, sheltered place for the students to wait to be picked up.
In both cases, unsafe situations are created with students crossing Union Street,
as well as the “loop” in front of the school. Cars trying to make
left turns into the loop cause added congestion. In addition, parents who want
to make a brief visit into the school building have nowhere to park.
Because of these constraints, many ad hoc solutions have been created. For
example, on cold days, students wait to be picked up inside the Laundromat across
the street from the school, and parents have taken to dropping their children
off at school early (as early as 7:15 when school starts at 8), and asking for
early dismissal, placing an additional burden on school staff.
School buses used to drop students off behind the school, looping around the
back and exiting on Bishop Street. However, this is no longer possible because
of the construction of new buildings on the site.
Possible solutions include:
• a “drop off zone”, extending ~1/2 mile in each direction
from the school, where parents can let their kids off and be assured of a safe
entry to school
• a sheltered, after-school waiting area
• a student shuttle, perhaps coordinated with a hospital shuttle
• exploring routing school buses behind the school again
• Arranging the use of adjacent land (see below)
Pedestrian Safety / Traffic Calming:
The majority of Lakeway students are not bussed to school, meaning they either
walk, bike, or are dropped off by parents. In all three of the latter situations,
there are safety concerns.
Students who walk and bike have to navigate Union Street, where there is no
continuous sidewalk along the north side of the street. They must either cross
over and back to stay on the sidewalk, or ride / walk behind the buildings on
Union Street, which has additional safety concerns (trucks, etc.). Students
who are dropped off at school often have to cross Union Street, or end up crossing
the loop to get to their waiting parents. Due to these safety concerns, many
students living within the two-mile radius opt to take the private bus service,
which is convenient but costly.
Traffic speed along Union Street is a major cause for concern. When it’s
not backed up due to morning/afternoon congestion, Union Street is a fairly
high-speed road, where the crossing guards at the school and at Pine street
are often ignored. Safety here is the biggest issue limiting walking and biking
to school.
Possible solutions include:
• connecting the sidewalk path in both directions from the school, see
“drop off zone,” above
• using traffic calming measures (medians, bump-outs, signage, crosswalks,
etc.) to slow traffic down before it gets to the school
• adding additional crosswalks between the school and the staff parking
lot (across the street), and at Pine Street
Land / Space:
Much of the cause of the current pick up / drop off problem (above) is due to
a lack of physical space around the school. With the recent construction of
new buildings, all of the on-site land that had been used for pick up / drop
off has become unavailable, making the current situation very difficult. The
school currently rents the parking lot across the street for staff parking –
but this lot is up for sale, and if it sells the school will be left with no
space at all.
However, there are several opportunities nearby. Although the school board
passed on an opportunity to buy adjacent land several years back, the Courier
building (next door) is a potential ally. They own all the land around the building,
and also don’t use all of the building anymore. The school board has discussed
buying this property, but it is prohibitively expensive.
Potential solutions:
• share parking at the Courier lot with the Faith Bible Church, who has
an alternate schedule
What do you think?
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