By Charlene Tebbutt

City Council looks at school zone safety

Nov 15, 2018 | 5:24 PM

It’s perhaps a too familiar scenario: cars parked in loading zones, trucks speeding through crosswalks and harried parents double-parked as they rush their little ones inside. The issue of school zone safety is once again a topic of discussion as local city councillors take another look at how to deal with safety concerns and traffic congestion.

The issue was discussed at a council meeting this week, with Mayor Greg Dionne saying city administration is planning to meet with officials from local school divisions to look at options. Traffic issues have been identified at several area schools, including École Holy Cross and Vincent Massey.

Dionne said he would like to meet with school officials before the end of the year. He said École St. Anne is another location seeing traffic tie-ups and said the issue is often a planning one.

In the future, Dionne said plans for any new schools in the city will have to include space for on-site loading and unloading zones, for both school buses and vehicle traffic.

“Some of the schools are just unbelievable,” Dionne told paNOW.

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Nicole Galbraith regularly walks her children to École Holy Cross, at the intersection of 15th Ave. E. and Muzzy Drive. She’s raised concerns about traffic and speeders in the area before, and has also purchased her own stop sign to use when crossing the road.

She said timing traffic lights at the intersection to turn red in all directions at school drop-off and pick up times could be one way to stop drivers and allow youngsters to safely get across the street. She said something needs to be done.

“Their own journey to get to where they’re going takes over and they will basically plow you over if you’re in the way and it’s very dangerious and scary,” Galbraith said of local drivers. “We’ve almost been hit several times, and we’ve had to contact the police over three times.”

Ward 6 Coun. Blake Edwards said heavy traffic congestion around local schools puts youngsters at risk.

“There’s cars backing up, there’s cars trying to get in and out of the parking lot, and they’re crossing traffic in a blind zone, and hopefully one day, there isn’t a kid in front of that,” Edwards said. “It’s specific to each school though, it needs to be looked at city-wide.”

City administration reviewed the area around Vincent Massey School after Councillor Dennis Nowoselsky raised it as a concern. Administration looked at the addition of an unloading zone on the south side of 30th Street, but recommended against it in a report to council as there is already an existing 70-metre unloading zone on the north of the street. An additional area on the south side would mean students would have to cross traffic to get to the school and restrict parking to local residents, the report adds.

Randy Emmerson, superintendent of schools with the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division said the division has always tried to promote safety in school zones, but is always open to discussing the issue with the City. Emmerson said the division communicates regularly with parents and families to promote school zone safety and appropriate pickup and drop off locations.

“The parking lot typically for most schools is not a drop-off zone for students and parents,” Emmerson added. “It’s maybe the most convenient or easiest place, but it does cause congestion.”

No one from the Prince Albert Catholic School Division was available for comment on this story.

Charlene.Tebbutt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt