If you drive along Pony Express parkway by Hidden Hollow when Hidden Hollow elementary was starting or ending their school day you would notice that there is no longer a School Zone at the intersection of Pony Express and Hidden Valley Parkway. The crossing guards are still on duty and helping the kids cross the street at the intersection, but the speed limit no longer drops for a school zone. I wondered what were the reasons the city had for making the decision to remove the school zone, so I reached out to the Mayor and the Communications Manager for the city.
Shortly after I made the request, Tyler Maffitt the Communications Manager for the city released this statement.
Eagle Mountain City
STATEMENT
Eagle Mountain City continues work to improve student safety in front of Hidden Hollow
The pedestrian crosswalks at Hidden Hollow elementary have been a point of concern for Eagle Mountain City and the Alpine School District for some time.
Given the volume of traffic traveling Pony Express Parkway during certain times of the day, the average speed of motorists, and the number of students using the former crosswalk at Hidden Hollow Parkway and Pony Express Parkway, the City decided it was best to revise pedestrian and traffic patterns.
These changes w ere implemented after compiling information from several sources. First, a traffic analysis found the 85th percentile speed through the school zone was 42 mph. Speeding in the area created a safety hazard for school children attempting to cross the roadway and created further safety problems for motorists obeying the change in speed when other motorists were not.
Next, the City referenced guidance from the Utah Department of Transportation’s Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices. It’s section on Traffic Controls for School Zones states that “A Reduced Speed School Zone shall not be installed or maintained on an approach to a roundabout or to an intersection controlled by a traffic signal…”
Finally, Eagle Mountain City received feedback from representatives at Hidden Hollow Elementary who expressed concerns about many of their 1,100 students using one crosswalk at the same time following the implementation of uniform start and end times to the school day.
Since these changes have been implemented, students are now spread over multiple crosswalks. This improves the safety of the students, allows for school crossing guards to better perform their duties and allows the traffic light at Pony Express Parkway and Hidden Hollow Parkway to better function as the primary traffic control device. Using a dedicated traffic light reduces vehicle speeds to zero when pedestrian crossing takes place.
Eagle Mountain City encourages residents traveling the area to observe these changes and report any problems. The City has already noticed several positive outcomes resulting from these alterations and will continue to monitor the area for safety improvements.
https://cedarvalleysentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Press-Release_113021_HiddenHollow.pdf
In the email that contained the statement from the city it also included the following guidelines with this note, “I’ve attached a statement for you. I’ve also included the MUTCD guidelines the City used to make its decision.”
MUTCD is the “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways.” The MUTCD defines the standards used by road managers nationwide to install and maintain traffic control devices on all public streets, highways, bikeways, and private roads open to public travel. The MUTCD is published by the Federal Highway Administration. Below is an excerpt from the MUTCD that contains the section the City used for removing the School Zone.
I thank the city for their quick response to the question and for supplying me the information for this article.
Mesa, Joel “Zone in on School Zones.” Zone in on School Zones. 25 Mar. 2011 EzineArticles.com. 30 Nov. 2021 http://ezinearticles.com/?Zone-in-on-School-Zones&id=6113341 discusses some of the things you as a driver can do to be aware of hazards in a marked or unmarked school zone. The article contains these helpful points.
“Kids will be crossing the street on foot and on their bicycles. There will be extra heavy traffic of parents picking up their kids. Kids are also very unpredictable so one never knows when a child will hastily cross the street when they are not supposed to. In addition, there will be school buses entering or exiting the school. Therefore, the following are a numerous school zone safety tips and what you need to know for motorists:
- Because of their size, it is difficult for children to see motorists or for motorists to see them. Because their peripheral vision is about one-third narrower than an adult’s, children can’t see a motorist approaching from the right or left as soon as an adult can.
- Children also have difficulty judging a car’s speed and distance, and they often think that if they can see the driver, the driver can see them.
- Drivers should observe speed limits at all times, but especially around children. When driving in school zones, near playgrounds, or in neighborhoods where children might be playing, motorists should always expect a child to dart out into the roadway.
- When turning left at a green light or making a right turn on red, drivers need to look for pedestrians as well as cars. Pedestrians always have the right of way in these situations.
- Please be kind to school crossing guards. These guards provide countless hours helping our children cross busy streets as they arrive and depart from school. Crossing guards often encounter hostile attitudes from individuals who are more concerned with their own personal agendas than the safety of school children.
- While picking up kids, don’t stop or park in the crosswalk.
- Avoid using a cell phone in and around school zones. If you are texting, talking or making a call, it can affect your ability to react quickly. Again, children’s actions can be unpredictable. Also many drivers miss the school zone speed limit signs and signals due to the cell phone distraction.
- When a school bus stops you must stop. Never pass a school bus that is loading or unloading children. Passing a stopped school bus is a four point infraction and is very dangerous.
- Apply the defensive driving SIPDE formula in school zones. S= Search (the driving environment), I= Identify (predetermined or possible hazards), P= Predict (the worst course of action other drivers or passengers might take in those scenarios), D=Decide (what you will do to avoid a crash), E=Execute (do what you decided to do).
In a school zone scenario, an example would be: SEARCH the school zone environment; IDENTIFY any possible hazards or predetermined hazards such as children walking too close to sidewalk; PREDICT the worst course of action the children might take such as abruptly crossing the street or crossing it between moving vehicles; DECIDE what you will do such as maintaining a safe following distance, slowing down a couple of miles even though you are driving within the speed limit, and paying full attention to the school zone environment; and finally EXECUTE your decisions.
No preoccupation, personal agenda, or impatience is worth causing children to be killed in motor vehicle crashes. By zoning in on that thought process and mentality every day while we drive, we can be key stakeholders to be in the cool zone of driving.”
When you are in a residential area the article points out that you should “Slow Down, you are never far from a school.”
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.