×

School Zone Near Ring, Washington Deserves Fresh Look From State DOT

Typically, school zones can’t be more than 1,300 feet long, according to state Transportation Department guidelines.

That’s the reason for the school zone sandwich between Ring Elementary School and Washington Middle School on Buffalo Street. That sandwich, with its 30 mile an hour speed zone surrounded by two 20 mile an hour school zones, has been discussed often by City Council members in recent weeks. It’s been a topic brought up several times by concerned city resident Doug Champ and, now, it’s Alexis Carlson, the Jamestown Police Department’s school resource officer in that area of the city, expressing concerns.

Neighborhood schools were originally designed for children walking to schools. But as parents became less trusting of city neighborhoods over the years, enough parents began driving their children to school than parking lots and entrances to Ring Elementary and Washington Middle schools were designed to handle. Buffalo Street’s design doesn’t help because it creates blind corners that make it hard to see children crossing a road or vehicles waiting to get into a school parking lot. The situation is complicated by parents frustrated by an inability to get to drop-off or pick-up areas letting their children out in nearby parking lots or on the side of the road.

It’s also difficult to remedy the situation given the constraints the schools face with space, particularly Washington Middle School. There simply aren’t areas to build additional parking or traffic loops near the school to move traffic quickly through the area in the mornings and afternoons.

All of that means the state needs to help the Jamestown Police Department keep traffic moving slower during preak traffic times. A consistent 20 mile an hour speed limit will help do that. We understand why the state limits school zones to 1,300 feet. But the situation on Buffalo Street is a unique one that deserves a fresh look by the state DOT.

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today