Go slow for new school zones in PTC

Tue, 08/19/2008 - 3:26pm
By: John Munford

Now that the new school zone times in Peachtree City are posted, the next job is to erect new larger school zone signs ... and new signs that will warn motorists before they enter the school zones.

The city is also adding eight new school zones in large part to cover cart path crossings used by students walking to school and those on carts, police said. It will take some time for the public works department to roll out the nearly 300 sign changes, police said.

With the beginning of school several weeks ago, the city changed its school zone times so all elementary schools would have the same school zone times, and so all middle and high schools would be on a similar time zone schedule, police said.

In doing so, they lengthened the afternoon school zone hours to 4 p.m. for elementary schools, a move designed to accommodate after-school programs and other clubs and activities that meet after elementary schools end their regular day, said Peachtree City Police Lt. Mark Brown. Fayette’s elementary schools dismiss classes at 2:30 p.m.

The department is giving motorists 30 days to become acclimated to the changes before enforcement will begin, Clark said.

The new times have been highlighted with warning flags on signs to get motorists attention, and the police department had a letter sent home by the schools to parents detailing the time changes for school zones, noted Police Chief H.C. “Skip” Clark.

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.

Clark said the new signs, once implemented, will be an improvement because they will be more visible to motorists, particularly around corners and other areas where signs might not be as visible.

“They’re very visible, so there should be no issue,” Clark said.

Clark noted the new signs include some that will warn motorists before they enter a school zone.

“This is all about safety, that’s the reason we’re doing this,” Clark said.

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secret squirrel's picture
Submitted by secret squirrel on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 6:03am.

Chief Clark states, "This is all about safety, that’s the reason we’re doing this."

Then why the 30-day grace period? School is in session NOW. If this is about safety, then you enforce the law, for safety, NOW. The installation of new signs and warnings should have happened over the summer time. THAT is when you acclimate your drivers. You do NOT wait until school is in session to try to get people who already do not care about school speed zones to slow down earlier than they already should have been and routinely do not.

Daily I witness people routinely ignoring the Kedron Elementary school zone (usually teens or soccer moms with the new cranial appendage known as a cellphone). Kedron Drive's 30MPH limit (that should come as a shock to some who treat it as Daytona) is already ignored. Now you want to drop it to 25 in longer distances and longer time frames than previously when it wasn't being enforced?

What exactly will this accomplish, other than increasing the "fund raising" abilities of the PTC PD?

For safety? You enforce safety laws immediately. Perhaps we'll wait until a child gets hit before deciding this actually be about safety.


Submitted by Insayn on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 7:41pm.

I believe that its written somewhere that anytime a speed limit is changed the police HAVE to give a 30 day grace period on giving tickets... but its doesn't say they cant write warnings.

Submitted by Spyglass on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 10:58am.

"Folks are going to bitch either way, if we fine them or not in the first 30 days."

They are enforcing the limits now, I've seen folks pulled over on Peachtree Parkway. Apparently, they just aren't fining folks the first time. From my standpoint, that's fair enough.

Submitted by NeedtoKnow on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 6:10am.

then the zones would actually be related to when there are kids in the area to keep safe. The extended times take us far beyond when any child may be around to "keep safe." So what exactly are they for?

As for when the signs and "grace period" should've been in effect: because the school zone signs only apply to school days (as they now say), there would've been no reason for them to be pulling folks over and giving warnings. Yes, they would've at least been visible, but they would've been ignored just as much as they are now.

Submitted by skyspy on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 8:41am.

Is it true that the speed zone starts a full hour before the high school gets out in the afternoon?

A few months ago someone asked if our cops have quotas for Wed. court. Looks like they do. I wonder how much the dollar amount is that they need to bring in?

A speed trap set a full hour before kids should be out, unless they are skipping class. ??

It gets harder to explain away or defend our cops behavior everyday. Let's give them back their porn computer and be done with it. I liked them better when they were glued to porn.

Submitted by DWKK07 on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 9:05pm.

Why is it every post you make gets progressively more moronic? You used to make sense - when did that change?
You're going to blame cops for school zones now? Since when do cops set speed limits or school zone times? Same thing with everything else you comment on - take a minute to know what you're talking about before firing of an idiotic statement. You're starting to sound like Bonkers.

Submitted by Bonkers on Thu, 08/21/2008 - 4:21am.

I never accusatorized eny cop uf sitin round loking at porn cept the une which who left!

Whut does ah sounde lak?

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