by Mike Knaak
editor@thenewsleaders.com
A new traffic pattern for dropping off students at Pine Meadow Elementary School will begin on Thursday, Jan. 2.
Drivers will no longer be allowed to turn left from Fifth Street North into the parking lot and barriers will placed in the middle of Fifth Street to block the entrance.
The change is needed, school and city officials said, because traffic is backing up on Pinecone Road as far south as City Hall around the 7:50 a.m. drop-off time. Officials are worried about traffic congestion and potential rear-end collisions, especially during bad weather.
Instead of turning left from Fifth Street into the school parking lot, drivers will head to the east end of Fifth Street, make a U-turn and line up for drop off facing west. In addition, the drop-off time will be extended by five minutes. Students will be allowed to enter the building at 7:45 a.m. and sit inside by the entrance until 7:50 a.m. when they will go to class.
The one-lane road between the tennis court and Pine Meadow may only be used by buses from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Buses will be traveling both ways on this road.
School officials sent letters home with students explaining the plan in detail.
Superintendent Jeff Schwiebert explained the plan at the Dec. 16 school board meeting.
Schwiebert encouraged students to ride the bus and for parents to prepare students for a quick drop off. He said the drop-off process should be “quick, efficient and safe.”
