Attention drivers: IMPORTANT!
We are all in a rush this time of year but please make sure safety around the school comes first. There have been many reported incidences of unsafe driving near the school. LAST WEEK A STUDENT WAS HURT RESULTING IN STITCHES BECAUSE OF AN ILLEGAL U-TURN DURING DROP-OFF.
Please make sure you drive with extra care around the school, within safe walk routes and pay close attention to the Crossing Guards. Do not make illegal turns, u turns or allow children to walk between parked cars.
Despite the "5 minute limit" sign YOU MAY NOT PARK IN THE GO ZONE TO WALK YOUR CHILD INTO THE SCHOOL DURING PICK-UP and DROP-OFF TIMES. Please inform all drivers of your children! Please help us avoid dangerous situations for all children that are driven or walk to school.
Unfortunately, those that have ignored the municipality created GO ZONE for all schools in Mt. Lebanon and simple safe driving has resulted in police presence and license plate number collection. Please realize our goal is to keep all children safe. Feel free to contact me with any concerns.
We all know about the dangers of crossing Washington Road at Washington School, but there are still drivers who will not yield to pedestrians. I was meeting friends at Uptown Coffee on Sunday afternoon, and parked in the South Lot. Several families were standing at the crosswalk waiting to cross along with me. At least five cars passed us by before cars finally stopped.
People like to blame deer for the deer/vehicle collisions. I have my doubts that deer are entirely responsible for the accidents. Or are we talking dear/vehicle collisions? Who is to blame when pedestrians are hit?
When there are parents making illegal U-turns in front of schools, dropping off kids in the middle of the crosswalk at Washington Elementary, or not giving pedestrians the right of way at crosswalks, how can we call ourselves a walking community? Remember how the residents on North Meadowcroft fought to get sidewalks for kids walking to Lincoln? Yet, now there are more important issues on our commissioners' minds.
Update December 28, 2013 9:00 AM The Howe Principal's email concerning this issue:
Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 11:54:29 -0800
From: noreply@mtlsd.net
Subject: SAFETY ISSUE
Dear Howe Families:
I am extremely concerned about the current safety issue at arrival and dismissal times. Today I received the following alarming email :
"I have a safety concern that I would like to bring to your attention. This morning my husband was dropping our sons off at school and (X) was almost hit by a car in the crosswalk at Annawanda because a car decided to do a three point turn in the middle of the crosswalk after the crossing guard had already let them cross.
Thank goodness the crossing guard (not Bill, as he is out sick, it was a substitute) grabbed (X) to pull him out of the way so he was not hit. In the process, his stop sign ended up hitting my son in the head and he is now on his way to get stitches. I will most definitely take this injury over being hit by a car, but he was sad to miss school today.
The thing that has me the most concerned is that the car that did this then pulled up in front of the school to drop a student off. (And did not stop or seem to even notice what had happened) As a parent, I know that I am very careful driving around the school during drop off and pick up times, and I would hope that other parents would have the courtesy to do the same, especially in the crosswalks."
Just last week I received this email:
"I've just returned from dropping (X) off for school and I'm a little shaken up. I nearly hit a child who blindly darted out in front of my car after she was dropped off in the middle of Broadmoor from a vehicle heading toward Anawanda. Two other children got out of the same car and each ran around the car a different way before also running across Broadmoor.
Yesterday another car stopped in the traffic lane next to the drop off lane and dropped off instead of pulling into the drop off lane, which was clear. It really concerns me that parents and caregivers are willing to sacrifice a child's safety for their own convenience. In addition I'm upset that their poor choice almost put me in the position of harming a child."
I know that no one wants to endanger a child; however, careless disregard for safety rules at arrival and dismissal resulted in one child going to the hospital and another having a near-miss. I have contacted the Mt. Lebanon Police Department to be at school during arrival and dismissal to ticket any car not following safety rules. Please make a conscious choice to follow all safety precautions. Help us protect your children.
Sincerely,
Michelle Murray
Principal
Update December 30, 2013 7:42 PM I had no idea how bad it is in the AM around the schools. This photo was taken by a parent walking his child to school. This is on Pinoak approaching the turn on Moffett to drop off students at Jefferson Middle School. The line of cars goes past Sweet Gum Road, where additional cars are waiting to enter the queue. These waiting cars still have a long wait ahead of them to the Go Zone.
Dear Jefferson parents:
I am extremely concerned about the current safety issue at arrival and dismissal times. Today I received the following alarming email :
"I have a safety concern that I would like to bring to your attention. This morning my husband was dropping our sons off at school and (X) was almost hit by a car in the crosswalk at Annawanda because a car decided to do a three point turn in the middle of the crosswalk after the crossing guard had already let them cross.
Thank goodness the crossing guard (not Bill, as he is out sick, it was a substitute) grabbed (X) to pull him out of the way so he was not hit. In the process, his stop sign ended up hitting my son in the head and he is now on his way to get stitches. I will most definitely take this injury over being hit by a car, but he was sad to miss school today.
The thing that has me the most concerned is that the car that did this then pulled up in front of the school to drop a student off. (And did not stop or seem to even notice what had happened) As a parent, I know that I am very careful driving around the school during drop off and pick up times, and I would hope that other parents would have the courtesy to do the same, especially in the crosswalks."
Just last week I received this email:
"I've just returned from dropping (X) off for school and I'm a little shaken up. I nearly hit a child who blindly darted out in front of my car after she was dropped off in the middle of Broadmoor from a vehicle heading toward Anawanda. Two other children got out of the same car and each ran around the car a different way before also running across Broadmoor.
Yesterday another car stopped in the traffic lane next to the drop off lane and dropped off instead of pulling into the drop off lane, which was clear. It really concerns me that parents and caregivers are willing to sacrifice a child's safety for their own convenience. In addition I'm upset that their poor choice almost put me in the position of harming a child."
I know that no one wants to endanger a child; however, careless disregard for safety rules at arrival and dismissal resulted in one child going to the hospital and another having a near-miss. I have contacted the Mt. Lebanon Police Department to be at school during arrival and dismissal to ticket any car not following safety rules. Please make a conscious choice to follow all safety precautions. Help us protect your children.
Sincerely,
Michelle Murray
Principal
Update December 30, 2013 7:42 PM I had no idea how bad it is in the AM around the schools. This photo was taken by a parent walking his child to school. This is on Pinoak approaching the turn on Moffett to drop off students at Jefferson Middle School. The line of cars goes past Sweet Gum Road, where additional cars are waiting to enter the queue. These waiting cars still have a long wait ahead of them to the Go Zone.
 |
| Parents waiting for other parents to move on so they can have their 30 seconds in the Go Zone. Walking here is faster. |
A Lebo Citizens reader explained that the back up gets worse on bad weather days but there is always, always, always back
up and quite honestly, doesn't think these parents are leaving their cars or
dilly-dallying in the Go Zone.
Although recently, some parents got so frustrated with the dismissal procedures
that they started using a church parking lot along the road to pick-up their
children. The principals were alerted somehow and sent out a warning email of
the hazards associated with that behavior. Here is that email:
December 10, 2013
Dear Jefferson parents:
It has come to our attention from the staff at Bower Hill Community Church that car traffic in their parking lots during our dismissal time has been causing problems. You should know that this church is the home to a developmental pre-school program sponsored by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. This program buses students from all over the south hills to their facility in the church. Recently, cars picking up Jefferson students have prevented their buses from getting into and out of their parking lots, particularly the lot closest to the Hospice building. The BHCC staff has kindly asked our school community to refrain from using this lot. Please contact your principal if you have any questions about this request.
Thank you.
Marc Thornton, Principal, Jefferson Elementary
James Walsh, Principal, Jefferson Middle
Thank you.
Marc Thornton, Principal, Jefferson Elementary
James Walsh, Principal, Jefferson Middle
94 comments:
The Go Zones are scary and they don't appear to work.
I've received more emails from principals regarding this subject than any other topic this school year.
Would you mind explaining GO ZONES, 7:30 AM? And why are they scary? If people weren't making illegal turns or stops, would GO ZONES work?
Elaine
Perhaps the GO ZONES are the reason behind the elementary principals moving on to other districts. It's encouraging to see that Dr. Murray is willing to communicate with parents about her concern. No one wants to be in charge of a chaotic system.
Here is how Markham describe's the rules of the Go Zones.
MARKHAM'S GO ZONE
MEMO
To: All drivers who drop off or pick up Markham students
From: Mr. Freil
Re: GO ZONE PROCEDURES
Included with this memo are some remembers about the procedures for the Markham Go Zone. Maintaining a safe traffic flow is vital to our students’ safety when coming to and from school. Please review these procedures so you can do your part in helping us keep a well run “Markham Go Zone.”
MARKHAM’S GO ZONE
1. The GO ZONES are for drop-off and pick-up of students. Vehicles are only allowed to be stopped in the GO ZONE to drop-off or pick-up children.
The 5 minutes mentioned in the sign above is intended to be used only after you have seen your child waiting for you, so that the child can safely enter the vehicle and fasten their seat belt.
2. The GO ZONE areas are located directly in front of Markham on Crescent Drive and the lower indented area on Beadling below the ball field.
The Go Zones are in effect from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm on school days.
3. For drop-off, you should enter the GO ZONES on Crescent or Beadling and move your vehicle to the farthest available spot. Allow your child to exit the vehicle on the side of the sidewalk. Children are not allowed to exit the vehicle on the side of the street. Parents are not allowed to exit the vehicles in the GO ZONES. Unattended vehicles will be ticketed.
4. For pick up, you should only enter the GO ZONE on Crescent Drive when you see your child. If your child is not waiting for you in the GO ZONE, you must drive around the block. Upon entering the GO ZONE area on Crescent Drive, vehicles should move forward to the farthest available spot before stopping to pick-up students.
5. There is no parking permitted on Crescent Drive directly in front of the school. You are not allowed to stop in front of the school to wait for your child if they are not in the GO ZONE.
6. Students must use the crosswalk to cross the street. It is unsafe for children to cross in the middle of Crescent Drive
Markham’s Top Ten Reasons to use the GO ZONE
10. Because it’s easier and safer.
9. To set a good example for your kids because they have to do it too.
8. Have your kids appreciate you more by making them wait!
7. Siblings get more one on one time together.
6. Your children get a valuable lesson in waiting and patience and let’s be honest, they can always use that!
5. Your kids get more time to socialize with each other while waiting for you.
4. You’ll make Mr. Freil sad if you don’t...
3. No matter what the age, think how cute they’ll all look lined up on the sidewalk…
2. To save time because who among us doesn’t need just a few more minutes before the after school craziness starts?
And the number ONE reason to use Markham’s GO ZONE is:
It’s a lot easier than explaining to the police officer why you are stopped in front of the school and holding up traffic.
So if I am understanding Dr. Murray's emails, two kids have required stitches from being injured during school drop off at Howe?
From Jefferson in October:
Attention Jefferson Families:
There are a number of issues surrounding our drop-off and pick-up procedures at Jefferson that you need to know. Over the past few weeks, we have observed some risky and even illegal actions by drivers that put everyone in the area at risk. We are working closely with the Mt. Lebanon Police Department to ensure a safe and orderly process for dropping off and picking up our students.
First, please heed all posted signs, especially the “No Parking, No Stopping” signs. Police will be issuing citations for violators, even if you are in your car, especially in the “Go Zone.” Try to always pull forward; keep traffic moving.
Second, you must stop for pedestrians at the crosswalks. Be aware that children entering crosswalks are not looking for you before they cross. When stopping for students using the crosswalk, please allow space so that students are able to watch for moving vehicles in both directions. Above all, please do not park or wait in the cross walk.
Remember, Moffett Street is a two-way street. At no time are you permitted to drive on the wrong side of the road, especially over the crosswalk.
Finally, if you see that a vehicle may be endangering a student, please use your horn to alert them. While it may be loud, it is more important to make the driver aware and alert the pedestrians to danger.
Remember, child safety should always come first. Please don’t put your child or your neighbor’s child in an unsafe situation for convenience sake.
We appreciate your cooperation with these issues that impact our school safety on a daily basis. We also appreciate the support of the Mt. Lebanon police helping to maintain our procedures.
~ Dr. James Walsh, Principal of Jefferson Middle School
~ Mr. Marc Thornton, Principal of Jefferson Elementary School
Are GO ZONES a district wide thing? Would someone mind sharing some history associated with this idea?
Elaine
Ohh, this subject gets me red hot!!! Go Zones are simply the parking areas directly in front of the building. When rules are followed they work just fine. You pull in, let the kids out, and pull out. Should take no more than 30 secs. My experience is, unless the police are present to move you along there are those that feel entitled to park there, many actually leaving the car to go socialize at the back of the bldg, leaving that car there for half an hour. At pick up, they cause the same havoc. So, IMO, it's a fine system, it's the rude adults that are too lazy to actually park their cars legally and walk with the kids. It was not uncommon that only 2 or 3 spaces would be open, and the rest parked cars with nobody in them. One bad apple screws the entire system. I could never understand why these people simply refuse to follow the system as me and most did for years. Most are repeat offenders, and we generally know who they are. Maybe a posted list of offenders could help, but i doubt it, some simply have no shame. I don't know what else you could do, as they are always going to be kids being dropped off. As for U turns at the crosswalk, that's just idiotic.
Funny, deer are a pressing problem because someone MIGHT BE INJURED in a vehicle accident with one, but pedestrians ACTUALLY ARE BEING INJURED in Washington Road crosswalks and others and there is no hurry to make crosswalks safer.
Bruce, watch the number of illegal U turns at the Shady T Stop with the police station just a few yards away.
Its clearly posted no U turns, doesn't matter.
I don't know the entire history but a few years ago the district DECLARED that we now have "GO ZONES" and posted rules about how you cannot leave your car unattended. Parents then started to be ticketed when principals called the police after observing rule breaking. The policy adds to idling in the community, which is supposedly something we don't want to see around our young children, and also adds to increased traffic bc parents are told to continue circling the building if they can't find a spot or their child. Honestly, it is the most insane thing I have ever observed or experienced with respect to child safety.
More than once, when I've been walking by Mellon during school zone time and there's someone driving, talking on their cell phone, blowing through the school zone way over 15 mph.
Some people just think they're more important than other people.
If your kids are too young to be dropped off without you getting out of the car, especially if you need to escort them to the bldg., you have no business using the drop off lane. There should be no idling, as i said it should take 30 secs. to pull in, get rid of them, and pull out. If your kid cannot be dropped off, then find a parking space and walk them in like everyone else does. Unless you want buses i'd be interested in hearing a better way.
I just finished reading the latest mtl Magazine. Don't miss the commissioner's report on page 23. Kristen Linfante reported on the TOD, Mt. Lebanon's Transit Oriented Development project. She defined TOD as a compact, relatively dense pedestrian environment within walking distance of a transit station. May I suggest that the commissioners consider developing all the air space above Mt. Lebanon for our walking community? Our entitled drivers wouldn't be able to take a crack at all the increased foot traffic. I think the commissioners better come up with a plan to insure pedestrian safety, before starting a TOD project.
Elaine
Bruce, has the school considered publishing the names of the repeat offenders?
Elaine
No, but they should, with pictures.
I have a solution. It's called walking.
In case you go looking, Trans Associates will not help improve pedestrian safety. Their mission is to keep cars on the road and moving without impediments. Their priority is motorists. One of their employees sits on the Traffic Board and basically erects barriers to residents aiming to improve the safety of their neighborhoods.
The municipality, however, seems to have lost their objectivity in this matter and continues to believe that Trans Associates is a good investment no matter their obvious sole interest in automobiles.
Mt Lebanon invests considerable sums of money in Trans Associates (which is led by a resident who employs at least one other resident). They are traffic engineers. See this awesome youtube video to demonstrate the frustration you may experience in communicating with them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9BUyWVg1xI
Continued investment in Trans Associates is one reason why students, shoppers, walkers, joggers, employees trying to get home... heck everybody is at risk.
While GO ZONES prioritize cars, thankfully, crossing guards prioritize pedestrians but only if they are children walking to/from school. But even for children, there are gaps; crossing guards aren't stationed at all of the intersections, even some of the most dangerous. To have a crossing guard at your intersection, is, you guessed it, a political matter.
Dr Steinhauer told all the PTAs to back off from trying to enforce Go Zone rules because parents were getting into altercations. Go Zone or no Go Zone, people should know basic traffic laws in school areas, during school hours. No one really pays attention to No parking signs or no idling. People park in crosswalks. Double park. Let their kids off on the traffic side of their cars. Absolutely no common sense is used. And then as one reader commented, you put other parents in danger of hitting your child! Info gets posted every year. Signs are out up. Stern emails are sent out. People don't seem to care. Me first. My kid first. I'm late for my meeting and I'm more important than you. Now, cutting the drop off time down from 20 minutes to 10 minutes hasn't helped. I'd love to know the genius that approved that schedule change
10:19 Steinhauer told the only local group I know that tries to improve child safety not to worry about enforcing the Go Zones?
Well, parents cannot enforce the Go Zones in a time sensitive manner because even if the person if front of you is sitting in his/her car reading during drop-off, there is no way to tell him/her to GO without creating a bigger hazard and getting a ticket yourself.
Ask the district magistrate what he thinks about the Go Zones and he will say, "Please, you have got to do something about this!" and he will implore you to go to the school board and make a fuss.
The district magistrate is in the position of being the ultimate enforcer and a) he isn't doing it, b) he doesn't appreciate being in the position of challenging parents to find a different way of picking up their four children from school and c) he knows the Go Zones aren't working.
Here is the link to that awesome video posted by 10:15 PM. Conversation with a traffic engineer
This is exactly like the stuff that is going on here. Funny and sad at the same time.
Elaine
Many walking school districts have a Safe Routes coordinator for as long as it takes to get walking school buses up and running, along safe walking routes. Beginning in 2005, Congress created national programs to help communities and school districts create these safe walking routes and walking school buses.
Mt Lebanon did not take advantage of the safe walking routes to school funding available in PA since 2005, which includes money for both infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects.
Walking school buses would help address the Go Zone hazards by reducing the number of drivers and cars, improve child behavior in school (as studies show that kids who walk to school behave and achieve better than kids who don't), and address the need for physical activity among kids.
http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org/encouragement/walking_school_bus_or_bicycle_train.cfm
I had never heard of a walking school bus before now.
Go to http://www.walkingschoolbus.org/ for an explanation. That is a great idea!
Elaine
How about calling the police when parents are breaking the law and endangering other students? One can have any kind of program for dropping off kids and picking up! If it doesn't work and laws are not obeyed, call the police!!! It is as simple as that! Duh!!!!
I have a better idea...
Let's have cops that pass out a ton of tickets, and Republican Judges who believe in the Rule of Law and will enforce the traffic laws that are on the books.
We really need to give politics in the judicial branch more attention. Reporters spend very little time reporting on politics in the judicial branch of government.
Exactly what makes politics in the judicial branch different from politics in the legislative branch or the executive branch?
A little investigate reporting may open many eyes!
The municipality can't enforce simple parking fines, how in the world could they manage something like Go Zone infractions.
12:14 AM, the Howe newslater stated that police presence is now required. So it's not as simple as that. We have too many entitled people who do not observe safe driving laws, unless there is police presence. Are you suggesting that a police officer should be assigned to each school at the start of each day? That means eleven officers will be tied up every morning because some people won't follow the rules.
Should we have police presence at the Washington Rd. crosswalks too? I experienced it first hand that people do not stop for pedestrians.
Elaine
Gee we had a PIO telling people how to avoid traffic by cutting through residential neighborhoods, something the police department frowns upon.
Is it any wonder there is a sense of entitlement here.
Plus, what other community do you go through that has as many residents putting out their own signs to watch out for kids as Lebo?
When did that become necessary?
And speed bumps?
Lebo drivers are so into themselves that they feel no reason to obey posted speed limits?
We have to build speed bumps to make them slow down.
Post No Idling signs to get them to turn off their SUVs and indoctrinate their children at school to go home and teach them about Green lightbulbs.
Amazing.
To understand the problem with creating an effective Go Zone at each school, our traffic engineers should apply Queing Theory: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queuing_Theory
Queing Theory may indicate that arrivals need to be limited or spaced in order to reduce queues or perhaps, that there is no practical Go Zone solution that is safe.
I was on Markham PTA executive board when the Police came to us and asked us to help start the Go Zone. This was due to a large snow storm that turned drop off into a very dangerous situation. Here is what I came away with, it doesn't matter if you have posted signs, or if you have a system implemented, there are people who will not follow any of the rules, regardless of the fact that they are there to keep the kids safe. The GO Zone is a safe way to drop off your kids, IF EVERYONE follows the procedures. Did the police create a safer environment? No, it really is no different than it was before from a safety standpoint. I do believe it helped with the flow of traffic at some of the schools, but it created a bottleneck at others. But more safe? I don't think that will ever be fully achieved. There needs to be more police presence holding people accountable. The schools have asked for that and unfortunately there just aren't enough policemen on duty to cover 10 school. Safety at drop off and pick up will continue to be an issue 10, 20, 100 years from now.
For the elementary schools, parents who are dropping off and kids who are walking must all arrive between 8:20-8:30am. The doors are locked until 8:20am. The drop off time has been cut short by 10 mins. It's created a more hazardous driving/walking situation in my opinion. All in the name of 10 mins extra instructional time and the 20 mins of time the teachers must get after they arrive at 8:00am.
The fact is we have a traffic problem in Mt. Lebanon---there are way too many vehicles, cars travel too fast and they park illegally.
My son-in-law was putting some packages in his car ---parked legally in front of my house---a few days ago and when he came in for a second load he actually brought up the subject of how fast the cars are traveling. He does not live in Mt. Lebanon.
Before we have an epic calamity, I call on all residents to not park in the street unless absolutely necessary. When you must park in the street, please make sure your vehicle is heading the correct direction and is not blocking important things like fire hydrants and driveways.
I also ask the police chief to issue a directive to his officers to enforce all traffic signs and regulations.
12:03 PM, I added an extra police officer to Washington School. Drop off is in the back, yet people are illegally stopping on Washington Rd.
So what is the solution? We have too many people who are above the law. I really like the walking school bus idea. Maybe adding those ten minutes back? Publishing a list of repeat offenders? We can't have kids getting hit by cars. Our school board directors thought it was more important to build a bridge over Horsman, so that high school kids could cross safely. We're really messed up.
Elaine
I guess we have people not following the rules, because they can, thanks to Timmy.
Elaine
The people of PA also need to *push* for municipality police to be granted permission to use radar for speed enforcement. In PA, only State Police have this capability. Our chief of police has gone to the state to request this, I believe, in the past, but to no avail.
We need radar.
Then we need the magistrate to actually enforce the penalties associated with the tickets.
If our elementary school kids get through grade school unharmed, Timmy will be looking out for them if they become athletes in high school.
http://lebomag.com/7303/making-progress/
"From the middle of the building, an area informally called a vomitorium projects, where teams will emerge (be vomited) from the locker rooms to head onto the turf for their competition. “It’ll be a nice, safe way for the kids to access the stadium,” Steinhauer said."
Elaine
But those kids that participate in extracurricular activities are left to play "Frogger" in Washington and Cochran Road rush hour traffic.
4:13 So the high school athletes get a bridge over a school parking lot and the middle school kids crossing Cochran (in the dark mornings, too!) don't have a crossing guard. Makes sense to me. The school district makes it clear that they address the hazards where they really are.
Hope you're being facetious 4:13.
Or are you saying the school parking lot is a dangerous place?
Right now the only people parking there are administrators, teachers and construction workers.
3:25 PM, didn't the commissioners support radar for use in Mt. Lebanon? I thought it was approved in the fall of 2012. But radar wouldn't be of any use for illegal turns or stops at the schools.
If Timmy told the PTA not to enforce the Go Zones, then why would the magistrate?
I think the first logical step is for Timmy to tell everyone he was being satirical and start enforcing the Go Zones. Why do the bullies get their way in this town?
Elaine
6:34 The real hazard is that a) that a student athlete could be harmed and b) that the harm occurs on school grounds. If the hazard is off school grounds, on a "safe walking route", the district can divert blame. Thus, the middle schoolers play frogger crossing streets with daily volumes of over 11,000 cars on their own, tired and in the dark.
We can't pay them enough to care.
Traffic is too fast, huh? Well, you all got the government that you voted for - so don't complain too loud!
Maybe that's why it's so important to to get informed, to get involved and to vote - vote - vote!
Why not install some video cameras like they're using on the HS project and posting stills of the U turn and stopping scofflaws.
Most people will be able to identify if not the driver, the family car.
In defense of Dr. Steinhauer, I think he told the PTAs to back off because parents were getting into verbal altercations, even putting themselves in harm's way trying to handle traffic situations. That shouldn't be the job of parents anyway. And what difference did it make? People still aren't following the rules. And the police are often called when people are violating the rules. MLPD responds pretty quickly. And what do parents do? They complain that they got pinched for breaking the laws in school zones! As was said before - signs are posted. Emails are sent out repeatedly. PTA reminds parents every year of the drop off and pick up rules. Some follow them. But all it takes is one person who doesn't to hurt someone, doesn't it?
The u-turn issue is an epidemic around Mt Lebanon.
So what is the point of this discussion? In my opinion, our elected officials,municipality staff, police, and school administrators, should be working together to prevent exposing pedestrians to hazardous situations. However, they follow the mindset of Trans Associates which is a "wait and see" modality. They wait until there are accidents, count them up, and then think about an intervention. The "thinking" part can result in solution generation but then implementation takes many years. Just ask the Washington Crosswalk folks how long they've been fighting for safety.
The Crystal Drive accident warrants attention. The speed limit at that intersection on Castle Shannon Blvd is 20 MPH, which indicates that someone at some point acknowledged a safety issue for motorists and pedestrians. There is a sidewalk on only one side. The other side of the road possesses a "goat trail" which indicates that pedestrians are frequently walking there and need a sidewalk. A sign is also posted indicating that pedestrians cross there. Yet, there is no crosswalk.
So, are we going to blame the pedestrian for crossing the street? How much effort is going to be put into reconstructing this crash? What will be done to prevent the same sort of incident again? Will other intersections with similar characteristics be scrutinized?
There is a malaise evident in the reactions of our community officials. But why? Is this learned helplessness? Indifference?
I don't think the Go Zone failures are the result of 1-2 parents not following the rules, although the rule breakers do not help matters.
The drop off sections in front of these schools do not necessarily lend themselves to this airport drop-off mentality.
When you go to the airport to drop a passenger, you follow a long road that is exclusive to motorists who want to drop a passenger (1). Then you pull up to a "go zone" like section that is very wide, allowing for cars to pass you when they are finished unloading. (2). You are not suddenly overcome with dozens of cars waiting for your spot when a traffic light nearby changes (3). You don't feel like everybody is trying to get to the same place at the same time (4). Help is available for the unloading process (5). You aren't usually dropping off young children who have to wrestle with their elaborate carseats, or need to make sure they put their lunch in their backpack, which can take longer than the suggested 30 seconds permitted to unload children (6). Police are nearby making sure everyone follows the rules (7). Drop-off doesn't occur exclusively during rush hour (8). The drop-off period isn't limited to approximately 10-15 minutes (9).
Need I say more? There are lots of reasons the go-zones in Mt Lebanon aren't effective and these are just nine differences that may play a role in making them ineffective when compared to the effective model utilized in most airports.
The Crystal Drive accident does warrant attention. Sadly, the driving force behind spending unassigned funds for turf just happens to be a Crystal Drive resident. You would think he would be aware of this dangerous situation in his ward and want to correct it ASAP,instead of creating the Cedar Blvd. Realtors' Fantasy Tour.
Elaine
10:49 your airport go zone is a pretty good analogy, but you miss several key points.
If you've ever been at the airport at a heavy arrival or departure time you can see how the system quickly breaks down without strict supervision.
If there is one officer on duty and he's at one end of the zone drivers will sit until he works his way back to the beginning of the zone and forces them to move.
The same thing happens at the schools. Curbside is not the time for junior to stuggle to put his lunch in his backpack and check to see if they have their lunch check, homework, gloves, hat etc.
If everyone pulled in, unloaded and pulled away it would work smoothly.
But when you have cars that dilly-dally and drivers behind that can't wait and pull around that the system breaks down.
If there were an authority, perhaps the asst. Principal performing the role of county mountie things would move smoothly and safely.
If the police did their job, this issue would go away. Period.
I guess you want police at all the schools twice a day, 9:55 AM. Period.
Elaine
Now not only do we have to handhold children, we must now do it for Lebo adults as well that can't follow simple procedures or traffic rules.
We supposedily had enforcement and fines for people that used metered parking spots, how'd that work out.
The majority of people fed the meter and went over paid the parking ticket.
But a number of "entitled" people simply ignore the rules because they're special.
Ok, so I get it: checking to ensure you have all your belongings from the parent mobile is a privilege for kids, not a right. That right is reserved for airline travel drop off zones. Young children are lucky if they are permitted to unbuckle their seat belts in the Go Zone. They need to just Go. I am sure the mentality of “faster, faster, faster” is a good one to teach children in a Go Zone when they are surrounded by vehicles in motion.
So instead of applying math (number of vehicles/time constraints, etc) and science (queuing theory/scientific method), combined knowledge from child development (fitting the expectations with the age/cognitive ability of the participants), we are just going to Go with the Go Zones that were created after a snow storm in Mt Lebanon.
We will allot all of our police force to stand by the schools helping to ensure no one breaks the rules. Of note: drop off time might become a good time for crime in Mt Lebanon since the police will certainly be preoccupied.
I had wondered if the shortage of math and science had come up in Mt Lebanon, since we are so consumed with shortages (i.e., fields and turf). But now I can see that the shortage of math and science isn’t just in instruction and resources, it’s also in application.
11:15 what happens at a turnstile when someone in the line waits until they're actually in it to search in their purse or pockets for their ticket?
With the limit space on the roads around our schools an efficient Go Zone seems to be an efficient system. Its not perfect, but unless you have a better solution its the one we're stuck with.
Its efficency breaks down when people start looking for jackets, books, purses, signing forgotten permission slips etc.
No one is suggesting throwing kids out the window as they pass the school, only being prepared to drop off as expediently as possible.
11:15 The suggestion is that by improving the walking routes and then creating opportunities for children to be supervised on their walks to school, you reduce the reliance on the perfect Go Zone and provide a healthy, developmentally appropriate, environmentally friendly alternative. The parents would probably prefer their kids walk but they don't because of time constraints, safety issues, etc. There's a nationwide movement to get kids moving and walking to school. In the meantime, our schools have stopped celebrating "Walk to School Day" and removed our bike racks. Why? Because the motorists in Mt Lebanon are endangering our children and the walking routes are not consistently safe.
Its also selfish when you have that one driver who feels its OK for them to make an illegal U turn in the Go Zone because they'd prefer not to go around the block.
Seems funny that 9 times out of 10 they're driving a big SUV and need to do a k-turn in their big boat and holds everyone up.
While waiting till the last minute to prepare does not help, it's really those that must get out of their cars. Worse are those that leave their cars. Now the ebb and flow is all jammed up, all because of 1 or 2 inconsiderates, sometimes more. The more spaces that are eliminated, the worse the jam gets and the more dangerous the situation becomes. If you've actually dealt or deal with this, especially at an elementary school, you know the same people are the ones causing all the problems. It's an easy fix if we are willing to call out the guilty. I've had words with some of them (one lady was reading a book, and i couldn't help myself). Other than figuring how to enforce it I don't really see any other way that would be better. I'm sure it was as bad or worse before Go Zone, especially if cars were allowed to actually park there. We could also just start busing, but i don't think that has any chance at all.
In my opinion there is a lot of truth to 10:49AM's comment.
Think about our teenage athletes for a moment... I can understand the magistrates motivation to postpone cases for years so that students can still get their athletic scholarships, but this practice undermines law enforcement and [as boundaries get pushed further back] jepoardizes the safety and welfare of the perpetrator and the community.
Some of the loudest voices that I have heard in Mt Lebanon over the years that called for tough traffic enforcement are the same people that roar across the residential streets.
Everyone wants "someone else" to get a ticket.
Safe driving is like charity - it begins in the home.
While the teenage athletes have their problems, I'd be willing to bet that the greatest percentage of the infamous parking ticket scofflaws were adults.
Watch the route from Washington Road to Mt. Lebanon Blvd during school morning and afternoon pick hours. Its not teenage athletes blasting thru and blowing stop signs.
1:11 PM is spot on. I've lived here long enough to know that the residents of this town suffer from "small dog syndrome." This is particularly true for the natives, who apparently haven't traveled much farther than Waynesburg and therefore don't know that some communities aren't joking about crosswalks and school zones. Go down to Gilkeson and try driving at the posted speed limit; you'll be run over by a horde of angry housewives beating it to Fresh Market. I used to pick up my kids from high school down at the rec center and watch the cars flying down Morgan Drive. When I made an "irresponsible kid" comment one day my son said, "Dad, those are the teachers!" The local civil servants, politicians and lawyers (and a few doctors) seem to think they are all above the law, but have no problem calling down hells fire and brimstone on the rest of the poor schmucks who live here.
4:14 is hilarious! Were does he get his empirical information? Natives haven't traveled "farther than Waynesburg"? Bwhahaha! Only "angry housewives" drive down Gilkeson? I guess he is a "poor schmuck", one who makes sweeping generalizations.
4:51 while 4:14 is making some generalizations, sit in the library corner easy chairs overlooking the Mellon teacher's parking lot and observe the race to exit and the number of illegal left turns.
Its not funny!
Driving is the new smoking.
With all of this discussion on perfecting the Go Zones and ticketing rule breakers, I am wondering why we are focused on driving kids to school? This is a "walking community" right? There's a huge obesity and the best way to address it aside from good nutrition is by promoting physical activity among children.
Likewise, studies have shown that up to 30% of rush hour traffic belongs to parents driving their kids to school.
Please consider focusing on why the parents aren't promoting walking to school among their children. Everyone in the community benefits when kids walk -- cleaner air, less traffic, safe walking routes.
Don't miss the second update to this thread. A reader sent me a photo of the long drop off line on Pinoak, along with another letter from the school principals at Jefferson.
Elaine
Elaine, That photo of the school drop-off traffic was taken at 7:53 am on Dec 18. I think those students waiting in those cars might be late!
In 1969, 48 percent of children 5 to 14 years of age usually walked or bicycled to school.
In 2009, 13 percent of children 5 to 14 years of age usually walked or bicycled to school.
1n 2013, how many Mt Lebanon students walked to school?
http://saferoutesinfo.org/sites/default/files/resources/NHTS_school_travel_report_2011_0.pdf.
That makes sense, 10:14 PM. I went to Jefferson Elementary and Junior High and it was never, EVER like that photo. Enrollment was double what it is today.
I don't recall anyone bringing this up at a school board meeting. What do our school board directors say to all of this?
Elaine
The school directors probably told Tim to call off the PTA safety moms.
I don't know much about what the school directors think of this subject. Dr Steinhauer assures parents he will do all he can to support pedestrian safety for children in this community. His contact person for safety concerns is Cissy Bowman. Her contact person for safety concerns is the Traffic Board. The Traffic Board's contact person for safety concerns is the meeting next month... but not the summer months. Those months are for vacation.
To address a point raised earlier in this thread, the reason why there is so much discussion about driving kids to school as opposed to letting them walk is that this idea that Mt. Lebanon is a "walking community" is a partial myth. It is dangerous to let little kids walk to school in some parts of this town. When we lived on Bower Hill Road and my kids walked to Hoover - and they did walk most of the time - my wife would escort them up to the crossing guard at Sylvandell. And even with a crossing guard at that location people would still occasionally fly though the crosswalk, even with the poor old crossing guard out in the street, waving his paddle. Another example: if you live on Sleepy Hollow do you actually expect your freshman daughter or son (especially daughters, in this day and age) to walk to the high school? Sure, it would probably do kids good to get the exercise, but I suspect most parents would weigh the pros and cons and, with some obvious exceptions, elect to drive them - or arrange to carpool.
Yes, there are some areas that do indeed lend themselves to walking to school. But I would suggest that if one sits down with a map of the Municipality one would find those options are definitely limited. Mt. Lebanon is not Manhattan - which is actually a "walking community."
As to why there are no school buses for the kids, when I first moved here in 1975 I was told point-blank by a Mt. Lebanon lawyer that the reason why the District did not bus kids was the fear of desegregation. Was he right? I don't know. But he was not the only resident who told me the same thing.
Finally, I suspect that December 30, 2013 at 4:14 PM was using absurdity to illustrate a point or two, but I will concur in his or her observation about cars flying down Morgan, as I, too, would occasionally pick up my girls and their friends at the Recreation Center. And just like 4:14, I was told that many of the cars beating it down the road were being driven by teachers.
Happy New Year to all!
Yep, those evil teachers are at it again! The teachers at Mellon work day is over at 3:30, there is no left turn from the Mellon lot from 2:30 - 3:30, so I would venture to say that they are legal.
To the person who said "if the police would just do their job, the issue would go away. period." I'd like to address your comment. As the relative of a MLPD officer, the police spend a significant amount of time in front of school zones during the am and pm hours. You would be shocked to know that in pulling over violators of the 15 mph speed zone, they have encountered, too numerous to count, individuals dropping children off who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Now a 5 min stop takes much more time and manpower, while the remainder of parents continue to speed along. Scary, huh? You'd probably also be surprised to realize that all those speeders you complain about in your neighborhoods aren't from outside lebo, or even outside your neighborhood, they are YOU and your neighbors. So if you and your neighbors cannot even slow down to protect yourselves and the people who live on your street, or folks can't even bring their children or grandchildren to school without being drunk or high, what makes you think that simply adding more police officers will solve the problem? Please get educated before you make such gross misstatements and indict an entire hardworking group of people who are out there protecting your ass at this very moment.
If I could somehow "Like" your comment, 12:56 PM, I would. Well said!
Elaine
It is truly a shame that it took the two "near misses" at Howe to get the Go Zone and general traffic safety issues into a bigger public discussion. For years, many parents have expressed their frustrations about the ineffectiveness of the Go Zones and fears that someone was going to get hurt.
My understanding is that Dr. Steinhauer requested that the PTA pull back on its efforts because the parents who were trying to educate other parents and protect students took a fair amount of abuse for it. And although I genuinely appreciate their efforts, they can only go so far because they can't actually enforce the rules and make inconsiderate people behave, which is the real problem here.
Also some principals have been more proactive than others in emphasizing proper school dropoff and pickup procedures.
I also agree with the poster that some areas of Mt. Lebanon are far more walkable for students than others because of distance, sidewalks or lack thereof, etc. There are a fair amount of students who do walk, but the thing is no matter how many students are being dropped off, you're going to have an unsafe situation if you have idiots (sorry, but it's the nicest word I can come up with here) doing three-point turns in the middle of a crosswalk.
And, as some posters have mentioned, the Go Zones in front of at least some schools work just fine if they're actually used as intended. Don't believe me? Watch how well they work when a police car is parked there, which unfortunately isn't often.
But it only takes a few lazy, inconsiderate people who don't feel like parking a little bit up the street and who would rather park in the Go Zone and then walk their children into school to create an unsafe situation. Likewise in the afternoon there are parents who arrive as early as 3:00 for a 3:30 p.m. elementary school pickup and park in the Go Zone rather than arriving at 3:20 p.m. and parking less than two blocks away and then walking up to meet their child--and keeping the Go Zone for what it is intended: a quick place to pick up a child who is READY to be picked up.
I don't mean to oversimplify the situation as some schools have some other complications. But honestly as one who's seen it in "action," there really are just a few self-centered people ruining it for most parents who do want the system to work. Quite simply, they care more about their own convenience than children's safety.
But ultimately writing tickets, patrolling, etc. falls to the municipality. And parents have been told that there isn't enough police manpower to patrol all the Go Zones at pickup and dropoff every day. But it is a sad commentary on our community that those patrols should even be necessary.
12:11, the school day ends at 3:00 pm.
Don't shoot the messenger observe the lot exit between 3 and 3:30 and see how left turns are made and by whom.
5:11 the school day ends for students at 3:00. not teachers451
Police can't ticket parents for breaking school rules. They can only ticket parents for breaking motor vehicle violations. The signs posted outside the schools say "No Parking Except During School Drop-off and Pick-Up. 5 minutes only". The signs also say "No Stopping, Standing, Parking" and "Unattended Vehicles will be ticketed". So new parents moving into the district or parents from schools whose principals do not address the Go Zones, after reading the signs, would believe they can park in front of the school for 5 minutes as long as they stay in the car -- even during drop off and pick up.
All this mayhem is a result of the school district's failure to address the transportation needs of its students. It's *abnormal* to need police to help parents get their children to school safely and further illustrates that the district is neglecting important matters.
If the kids don't have a route with sidewalks or the distance is too far, they need transportation and since the Go Zones aren't working, perhaps its time for buses.
Forget about this whole walking business. If the school district can't invest time and energy into being a safe walking district, then it's time for buses.
The high school athletes require buses. The field trips require buses. The marching band requires buses. We have buses. PennDot mandates the use of buses when walking routes are hazardous.
11:50 PM, thanks for the info. I found this while waiting for 2014. Transportation of School Students.
I see that the state provides half of the funding.
Happy New Year!
Elaine
Just to be clear 11:41, those aren't "school rules." They are from the municipality. This is the other part of the problem--besides the inconsiderate, self-centered people mentioned earlier. The municipality placed the signs and have been told by many people that the signs need to be reworded (and have been told that for at least the past three years). But make no mistake--misunderstanding of the signs or lack of knowledge of the rules isn't the main problem. It's people doing whatever they want because they don't care about others and believe they can get away with it. Many of the repeat offenders freely admit they know the rules and choose to break them.
If we can't act more civilly and behave like responsible adults--especially when it comes to children's safety--it really doesn't matter if we bus or not, walk or not, etc. We have much bigger issues. And expecting the police to be there to always make sure that people do the right thing isn't realistic. But right now, that's the only thing that works with the Go Zones--and obviously that's a very limited solution because of the officers' limited availability.
1:01 am Where is the Go Zone ordinance?
I did a Google search for "Mt. Lebanon Go Zone" and found a few links to the MTLSD website, as well as a Mt. Lebanon Minute done by the PIO. I don't see an ordinance anywhere. It is considered as a cooperative program. MTLSD Go Zone states that the municipality created GO Zones in 2010. Note to Cissy Bowman: All the links at the bottom are not working, including the letter from the police chief, Go Zone FAQs, and a letter from Rob Papke about no idling.
Elaine
So from a police perspective, there is no ordinance and the signs indicate that parents have 5 minutes each to park and attend to their cars in the Go Zones. They can't ticket parents without timing them to see if they have been there longer than 5 minutes.
From a basic math perspective, one can see that if there's only a limited time period to drop kids off in Mt Lebanon for school (10-15 minutes) and a limited number of Go Zone spaces, then parents are going to experience significant back-ups. The back-ups are leading to some ridiculous and unsafe driving behaviors among the parents. The system is designed for failure.
Lets face it! Mt Lebanon School Board NEEDS to tear down all the schools except of course the High School and build brand new ones that have enough room for kids to be picked up and dropped off. We all can pay ANOTHER $5000 a year increase IF it's "For the kids". Anyone asked Dave B if the new turfed fields have enough "Go Zones" as millions of kids are waiting to play on it?
What 2:59 PM on Dec. 31 wrote has been on my mind. "It is truly a shame that it took the two "near misses" at Howe to get the Go Zone and general traffic safety issues into a bigger public discussion."
I didn't know this was an issue since I no longer have kids in school.
Since it is a new year, I have been thinking about having informal coffees every once in a while. I thought it would be fun to put a face to the readers of Lebo Citizens. If you wish to remain anonymous or if you want to introduce yourself, either way, it could be an opportunity to share issues like Go Zones or just a chance to say hi. Details have not been worked out yet.
Elaine
The following is article about a woman injured in a mid-block crosswalk in PA. Her lawsuit against PennDOT, her municipality, and the driver should be a wake-up call to Mt Lebanon. Her suit alleges that PennDot and her municipality did not take adequate steps to ensure the crosswalk was safe. Her medical bills are currently at $528,000.
http://www.delcotimes.com/general-news/20140101/pedestrian-files-suit-after-losing-leg-in-crosswalk-incident-in-west-chester
From January 1 at 10:20 AM, I wrote:
"Note to Cissy Bowman: All the links at the bottom are not working, including the letter from the police chief, Go Zone FAQs, and a letter from Rob Papke about no idling."
It appears that Cissy removed the links to the letters and the Go Zone FAQs, instead of fixing them.
Elaine
Perhaps parents and residents have been raising concerns about the Go Zones for quite some time and the district is considering a new solution for pick-up and drop-off at the schools.
In a video from the traffic board meeting in September, a minister from a local church described the pick-up conditions outside Mellon and in the library lot as "bedlam" with children "darting" and "dodging" cars. After he spoke about his significant concerns for student and citizen safety, the traffic board indicated that his request for new signage would go to Mr. Feller.
So if you raise a concern to the super, he will send you to Ms. Bowman, who will send you to the traffic board, who will consult with the traffic police and Trans Associates, who might take your request to either Mr. Feller or the Commission. However, this process will only go forward in this manner if you are very lucky. If Trans has data that conflicts with your concerns, or the board is unconvinced, your request for increased attention to your safety concern will be dismissed. Likewise, if you concern is about something that is only addressed once a year, or every couple of years, or decade, you just have to w a i t i t o u t . . .
Well, I'll be....
There's no evidence a pedestrian was hit on Castle Shannon Blvd in Mt Lebanon on Christmas Day in the police blotter:
http://mtlebanonpd.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Mt-Lebanon-Police-Weekly-Press-Report-12-25.pdf
For everyone's information, the first meeting of the year to inform all Juvenille Protection Chairpersons from each of the schools their duties is this January 24, 2014!
I believe the school year started September 2013!
Why is it St. Bernard's "GoZone" works perfectly, everyone follows the rules and there is order?
9:29. I have a collection if emails not just from myself going back FIVE years?
I see many, many working hard in the school district, but the simpletons are promoted to their level of ignorance.
Update re: the pedestrian hit on Christmas. This event was added to the Mt Lebanon Police Blotter recently.
For some reason, when pedestrians are hit, it seems to take a while for these events to be added to the blotter.
If no citation is issued, the pedestrian being hit does not make it to the blotter at all. This practice does not promote transparency. It helps to know when, where and under what conditions, pedestrians are being hit by cars.
Shout out to the Juvenile Protection Committee:
You will be told that children can have only one crosswalk in front of their school. This does not make sense. The middle school children leaving back door and side entrances are not going to go back to the front of the school to go into a crosswalk only to turn around and go the other way home. Please stop blaming bad parents and slacker kids for crosswalk mayhem outside the schools at dismissal. If you ever visit a university town, or 21st century school district, you will see crosswalks and and roadway accommodations designed to protect pedestrians everywhere. The expectation is that students will be walking there and drivers are secondary.
Another imperative for the Go Zones: please get an ordinance passed that limits truck deliveries during drop off and pick up times at the schools in our commercial districts. Permitting trucks to be there is extremely dangerous due to limited visibility of children combined with traffic buildup due to trucks either parking on sidewalks or obstructing lanes. I'd share this information myself but the school district doesn't return my emails. Good luck.
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