Scores of students travel down Tizer Road every day to get to school. Parents, staff, and county public works are working to make it safer for kids. Their work has not only impacted Warren Elementary, but also schools across the county.
“It's just not safe,” said crossing guard Rachel Black, standing vigilant at Tizer Road on Wednesday morning.
Rachel Black gets up early every morning to help kids get safely to school at Warren Elementary. She’ll be the first to tell you, it's a dangerous area for pedestrians.
“Cars just coming around that corner so fast, they don't even know if there's kids waiting to cross,” Black said.
School staff regularly hear about close calls and concerns, including not enough signage and the speed of vehicles close to the school.
Last year, the PTA brought those issues to the attention of county public works, prompting them to conduct a traffic investigation on school zones and signage.
The students of Warren wrote letters to the county commission, saying they were worried about classmates who have to make the trek across traffic.
“It's a very fast road, and definitely for Blake, it's gotta be hard trying to cross that,” said 5th grader Liviana, who wrote a letter to the commission. “He said when he's on his bike, it is a bit scary.”
“And sometimes I just get worried about him,” said 5th grader Stetson, who wrote a letter to the commission. “But I feel good that he's gonna be a lot safer than the last few months.”
On Tuesday, the Lewis and Clark County Commission unanimously passed the ordinance to update school zones and speed limits across the county. It impacts Augusta, Canyon Creek, East Valley Middle, Eastgate Elementary, Jim Darcy, Lincoln, Rossiter, Warren, and Wold Creek schools.
Warren Principal Abby Kuhl says she’s happy for the change.
“I think that focusing on our kids' safety, you know, we can do what we can do when they're inside of our buildings, but making sure they have a safe way to and from school is super important, too,” Kuhl said.
The changes for the new county ordinance will go into effect one month from now, so the changes can be made.
The school still hopes to see action to reduce speed on the 55-mile-per-hour York Road that neighbors' school property.
The full list of school zone changes includes:
- Augusta school zone, 15 miles per hour on: Hogan Street – Laura Street to Broadway Street, Broadway Street – Beach Street to Manix Street
- Canyon Creek school zone, 15 miles per hour on: Duffy Lane – 1,000 Feet East of Highway 279 to 3,000 Feet East of Highway 279
- East Valley Middle School zone, 15 miles per hour on: Oak Avenue – 150 Feet South of East Clinton Street to East Lewis Street, East Lewis Street – 450 Feet East of Oak Avenue to Oak Avenue, East Clinton Street – 250 Feet East of Oak Avenue to Oak Avenue, East King Street – 250 Feet East of Oak Avenue to Oak Avenue, East Dudley Street – 250 Feet East of Oak Avenue to Oak Avenue
- Eastgate Elementary school zone, 20 miles per hour on: East Lewis Street – 460 Feet West of Lake Helena Drive to Lake Helena Drive, Lake Helena Drive – From 250 Feet North of Remington Street to 375 Feet South of Gradestake Street
- Jim Darcy school zone, 15 miles per hour on: Grand Valley Loop – Lincoln Road West to 550 Feet North of Lincoln Road West, Kingpost Loop – 400 Feet South of Hammer Beam Road to 120 Feet West of Roughsawn Way, Rustin Way – Kingpost Loop to 375 Feet South of Kingpost Loop, Roughsawn Drive – From Rustic Way to 150 Feet East of Rustic Way
- Lincoln school zone, 15 miles per hour on: North 1st Street – 360 Feet West of Sucker Creek Road to 680 Feet West of Sucker Creek Road, North 2nd Street – 225 Feet West of North 8th Avenue to 1,225 Feet East of North 8th Avenue, North 8th Avenue – From Main Street to 100 Feet North 2nd Street
- Rossiter school zone, 15 miles per hour on: Sierra Road East – 150 Feet West of Marcella Burke Drive to 150 Feet West of Frontage Drive, Goodwin Drive – Sierra Road East to 250 Feet North of Sierra Road East, Center Drive – Sierra Road East to 250 Feet North of Sierra Road
- Warren school zone, 15 miles per hour on: Tizer Road – 150 Feet South of York Road to 475 Feet South of Old York Road, Old York Road – 575 Feet West of Tizer Road to Tizer Road
- Wolf Creek school zone, 15 miles per hour on: North Walsh Street – From 100 Feet south of High Street to 350 Feet North of High Street
