News | Peachtree City

Hours change in PTC school zones; walking to school encouraged

Fri, 08/08/2008 - 2:55pm
By: The Citizen

School speed zone times in Peachtree City have been changed to make the process more consistent across all schools, police said.

For the city’s five elementary schools, the speed zone enforcement times run from 7:15 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. and from 2 to 4 p.m.

The zones for Booth Middle and McIntosh High schools will now run from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

The new times have been posted on all school zone speed limits signs at each school, police said. At the beginning of the school year officers will conduct educational enforcement compliance checks of speeds, and the new times will be advertised on the department’s visual message trailer.

In the next few months motorists will see additional signs installed to enhance visibility and traffic safety around the schools.

The department’s goal is to reduce traffic speeds and encourage more children to walk to school, police said.

The department’s Community Response Team will operate informational seat belt checks throughout the year after students are transported or driving away from the school, police said.

The CRT will also hold bike and pedestrian safety rodeos at local schools in addition to other bike and pedestrian safety presentations.

The changes to the school zones came after engineering studies and research conducted by the police department in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Transportation, City Engineer David Borkowski and the city’s public works department.

Anyone with a traffic concern or complaint can call 770-487-8866 and ask to speak to a member of the Community Response Team or report the concern at www.peachtree-city.org/traffic. Anyone with questions about school safety zones or any of the department’s other programs can email Lt. Mark Brown at markbrown@peachtree-city.org.

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Just another way for PTC to earn more money
Submitted by NeedtoKnow on Sat, 08/09/2008 - 7:40pm.

Elementary schools get out at 2:20, and the school zone has been extended until 4pm, 1 hr 40 min past that time. Even a child on foot is going to have cleared the school zone area (even the one on P'tree Pkwy at McIntosh Tr) in about 20 minutes, if not much less. So what is the point of extending the school zone time?

Middle school gets out at 3:40, and the school zone is set from 2:30pm until 4:30pm. The end time is the same as it has been (supposedly because kids with after-school activities are still walking in the area?), but the start time is earlier. 1 hr 10 minutes before the first child is even allowed out of the building. Unlike high schoolers, middle schoolers aren't ever going to be leaving early. So what is the point of extending the school zone time?

High school gets out at 3:20, and the school zone is set from 2:30-4:30. Honestly, this is the only one that makes sense to me, as there are some high schoolers that leave earlier and later than even these times. But my question here is... why doesn't the McIntosh school zone extend onto Peachtree Pkwy? McIntosh is closer to the parkway than Huddleston Elementary, and yet that school zone covers the entire intersection area at the parkway.

Citizens, be glad! Now that the times have been extended (even if to ridiculous amounts), PCPD has more time in which to issue tickets! This will increase city revenue, and taxpayers may get a break (yeah, right).

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So slowing down for less than a mile is a HUGE problem
Submitted by Spyglass on Mon, 08/11/2008 - 10:07am.

for you?

You slow down 15 MPH for less than 1 mile on the Parkway at certain times. In real time, you lose basically nothing. Wow, it must be nice to have NOTHING to worry about.

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NeedtoKnow I Hear You
Submitted by skyspy on Sat, 08/09/2008 - 8:42pm.

Everyone knows this is how small town and small time cops work. This truly is how they make money. PTC and apparently Tyrone have a bad reputation for it. Personally I haven't had much luck with our Sheriff's dept. I get warnings from everyone else but them.

Sadly it is the cost of living in a small rural town. On the other hand with real crime on the rise pretty soon they will be too busy to notice someone 5 miles over the limit.

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No problem with school zones, except...
Submitted by NeedtoKnow on Sun, 08/10/2008 - 5:54am.

I'm glad they give expensive tickets for speeding in a school zone. I wouldn't mind if they upped the fines, even. And I don't mind slowing down, either (or driving a different route to avoid the zone). All I'm asking for is some common sense in the timing of the zones.

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I agree!
Submitted by someonesgottasayit on Sat, 08/09/2008 - 11:20pm.

Slow down some. I hear it saves on gas.

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If its for the safety of the children its great!
Submitted by Dondol on Fri, 08/08/2008 - 4:19pm.

But can anyone tell me why in the world the crossing guards at J.C. Booth stop traffic on the parkway to let one car out when that person can wait one minute for traffic to clear. They do this at 2:30 with no children around, it just doesn't make sense. I mean I could see it if it was 3:30 with school about to let out, but to just stop 4 lanes of traffic to let 1 car out is just questionable.

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Dondol, I've wondered about that myself.
Submitted by MYTMITE on Fri, 08/08/2008 - 5:32pm.

I've seen traffic back up on both sides of the Parkway at Booth as the crossing guards stop traffic to let out one lone automobile. This is ridiculous. Why not let this one car wait a few minutes before letting traffic back up all the way to the intersection? This to me is more dangerous than letting that one car wait for a break in traffic. Sometimes they stop traffic even before that car has gotten to the road and you sit there waiting and waiting til this slowpoke takes his/her time inching up to the road.

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Mytite
Submitted by Bonkers on Fri, 08/08/2008 - 6:21pm.

You know the answer!

The people at the school pay the traffic people. I know it also is your money, but they do the hiring!

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