Eagle Eyes (Forest Hills Grid 18)

Here's a simple idea for all. Why do we have a school crossing in front of the Presbyterian church and not at the intersection? I really don't want cars stacking up in front of our house but if we had a light there for the kids it would be much more useful. Not only the busses that go to all 3 schools could have a light to get out but it would provide traffic calming as well (like we don't have a problem with people speeding down Linebaugh).

Carl

Over 14 years ago, the then city councilman for District 7 (Scott Payne) lived on N. Ashley Street next to the retention pond. Every day his wife walked their large collection of children up to the crosswalk and complained about the crosswalk not being at the intersection. So she tried to get it moved from being at its current location to the intersection of Ola & Linebaugh. Even she couldn't get it done, and there was a semi-legitimate rationale for not having it at the intersection, but it's been so long ago (and I'm so old, now) that I forget the exact reason. Not that your request isn't a valid one, but it got stalmated by the oublic works department.

HOWEVER . . . thre may be an avenue for at least partially rectifying this problem, and this is where the power in numbers comes into play: as a community, we can contact the principal at Forest Hills Elementary (I suspect the 2pm dismissal traffic is causing the backlog that you are referring to) about the issue, and take it up the chain of command if that doesn't get satisfaction.

I will say this: there is a new principal this year at that school, and she is trying to make the traffic flow as smoothly as possible, but she will fix the traffic issues at the school first. She is aware of the neighbors' complaints from the past (I made her aware of them) but I don't know how ast this will be corrected. Maybe some neighbors intervening will help, especially if the complaints have to move upwards (to the school board as well as city hall) to solve.

Thank you for your input. Maybe we can talk about this in person, also? You have my contact info.

The traffic is worse than I've seen it in years. You expect that when it rains, but now the traffic is backed up around the corner on Ola into Linebaugh thus making people drive around the cars on Linebaugh on a normal day. Usually traffic is bad until parents stop dropping their kids off so that probably will change.

I feel bad for the kids as well as the bus drivers. They have to wait or pull out in traffic and I'm just waiting for an accident.

Carl