Home »
SD5 board to review traffic and parking around schools
Speed limit through all Cranbrook school zones now 30 km/h
School traffic safety is a top priority for School District 5 (SD5) and the School Board of Trustees is asking the community to make it a priority as well.
On November 19, City of Cranbrook council decided to reduce the speed limit from 50 to 30 kilometers per hour at Laurie and Parkland Middle schools and Mount Baker Secondary School, between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. These limits are currently legislated for elementary schools but were exempted from middle and secondary schools by government about 10 years ago.
“We’re very grateful to the City of Cranbrook for reinstating the 30 km/h speed limits at our middle and secondary schools,” said Board Chair, Trustee Frank Lento. “While that’s a significant step to increasing traffic safety around our schools the board believes it’s only one component of improving safety.”
According to Lento, the board received a report, Review of Traffic and Parking Issues: Schools in Cranbrook, at last night’s (Dec. 11) board meeting. The report contains an overview of existing bus, parental and staff traffic and parking conditions for each of Cranbrook’s ten schools and a number of recommendations for improvement.
The report, compiled and presented by Doug McPhee, Director of Instruction/Safety, acknowledges that traffic is a bigger issue now than when Cranbrook schools were first built and that’s resulted in a need to re-think the way traffic is directed. Many of the recommendations include changes to signage, vehicle parking and the establishment of designated student drop-off zones.
“We’re sending a copy of the report to the City of Cranbrook and to the District Parents Advisory Committee (DPAC) for distribution to parents. We’re looking for feedback on the recommendations and any other suggestions for making traffic around our schools safer.”
The report will also be available on the SD5 website, www.sd5.bc.ca. Anyone wishing to provide feedback can send comments to Doug McPhee, Director of Instruction/Safety at [email protected].
SD5
