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July 4, 2009

City may shorten school zone

By Liz McMahan

The longest school zone in the Muskogee school district is about to be reduced by half, making it safer for pedestrians and better for motorists, officials said.

The zone in question is on Chandler Road from west of R Street to Virginia Street. That is 1,925 feet, said Mike Stewart, director of public works.

The proposal he will present to the City Council’s Public Works Committee at its meeting Tuesday afternoon would cut the zone to 840 feet — from west of S Street to east of T Street. That still is about the length of three city blocks and it still will be one of the longest school zones in the city, Stewart said.

The speed limit in the school zone will be 25 mph anytime the lights that will be posted at either end are flashing, he said.

When the school zone was established, it served three schools: St. Joseph Catholic School, Whittier Elementary and Alice Robertson Junior High, which is now the 7th and 8th Grade Center, Stewart said.

St. Joseph’s has told city officials they no longer have students who walk to school. Muskogee Public Schools has changed the attendance area for Whittier Elementary and there are no longer students attending that school who live north of Chandler Road, Stewart said.

The length of the school zone presents a problem for motorists in that if a driver who is not familiar with the area turns onto Chandler in the middle of the zone, the driver might never be aware he is in a school zone, Stewart said.

School and city officials have been in agreement for some time that a shorter school zone could prove to be a safer school zone for the students but decided to wait until summer to make the change, Stewart said.

The only cost to the city for making the change will be the labor costs of moving the school zone signs if the Public Works Committee and the City Council approve the change, he said.

The signs could be moved within about two weeks, he said.

Reach Liz McMahan at 684-2926 or lmcmahan @muskogeephoenix.com.

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