Traffic Safety Panel Discussion Recap

Lakota Local Schools hosted a traffic safety panel for its community on Oct. 23. The panel addressed top questions across several categories that were submitted ahead of time in a ThoughtExchange survey. Participants were also able to submit questions during the discussion.

The panel included Lakota Superintendent Ashley Whitely, Lakota Chief Operations Officer Chris Passarge, Captain Seth Hagaman from the West Chester Police Department (WCPD), Lieutenant Mike Nutt from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), Butler County Traffic Engineer Matthew Loeffler, and Liberty Township Board of Trustees President Todd Minniear. 

“The purpose of this evening is to talk about safety, particularly traffic safety, within our school district and our community,” Whitely told the audience. “It’s about all of the organizations represented here and the partnership that we work towards to make sure that traffic safety is always at the forefront of the conversation, and that we are taking that and doing our due diligence because safety is of the utmost importance, not only in our district but also in our community.” She began the meeting by recapping the steps that have already been taken to address the community’s concerns about crosswalk safety. 

• In July, Whitely and Passarge met with Loeffler, representatives from West Chester and Liberty townships and both the WCPD and BCSO, including Hagaman and Nutt. At the meeting, the traffic flow at all 23 schools was reviewed and challenges and opportunities for growth were discussed.
• At Lakota East Freshman, the school zone has been extended and a speed safety study was conducted to evaluate the speed limit on Bethany Road by the school.
• At Lakota West High School, new LED lighting has been installed at the crosswalk to improve visibility.
• Several additional meetings have focused on possible improvements, including traffic patterns at Lakota West High School.
• A collaborative public service announcement video will be created to help educate students at all grade levels about crosswalk safety.

Minniear also noted that two additional school zone signs have been added on Bethany Road near East Freshman.

Two hundred twenty-four participants shared and rated 166 thoughts. The top themes included crosswalks, roadways and signage, high school parking lots and student education. A summary of the questions and responses follow:

Is it possible to have crossing guards throughout the district at all grade bands? 

Whitely clarified that the term “crossing guard” describes someone who has been specifically trained for the role, which allows them to step into the street as students cross. This is not possible at all buildings. She shared that some schools have staff members who stand at the curb to stop students until it is safe to cross the street in groups. She further shared that the District can explore expanding the number of staff fulfilling this role. 

If crossing guards are not an option, could there be a police or school resource officer (SRO) presence at crosswalks?

Whitely explained that arrival and dismissal are the most vulnerable times for schools and the SROs need to be in the buildings at those times. She said that hiring additional officers is something that they could consider. However, finding SROs to fill the possible positions is another hurdle.

Hagaman reiterated that, while it seems like the easy answer, keeping SROs in the building is important. “The reason we started the SRO program in the ‘90s and expanded it from one officer to nine in West Chester, and a similar number in Liberty Township, over the last 10 years is the threat of school violence.” Hagaman explained that the schools are most vulnerable when the doors are unlocked, which is during arrival and dismissal. “If (the officer) takes over the crosswalk, they’re in a known location which doesn’t allow them to really protect the school.” 

Hagaman added that the items discussed during the meeting for Lakota West are both short and long-term solutions, meaning some of the ideas would take longer to put in place, but they have also looked at ideas that are more immediate. For example, Lakota West’s second SRO is stationed at the crosswalk before and after school temporarily as the group continues to look for a more permanent solution. “All of the West Chester schools are currently under evaluation by our police department for traffic flow.” This evaluation reviews traffic patterns to see what improvements can be implemented. Hagaman shared that they are starting at the high school because the more recent incidents have involved high school students. They will then work their way down to the younger grade bands. 

Could police officers be present to cite drivers in school zones?

Nutt shared that there are 11 deputies in Liberty Township. At the beginning of the school year, all  available deputies were used for traffic enforcement in school zones. They also put a speed message board on Bethany Road. “It seems to help, but as soon as we move, as soon as we leave or stop another car, regrettably, the speeding continues,” he said.

Hagaman added that it’s also a resource issue because there are other calls that officers must respond to, noting active school zone times coincide with increased calls for police assistance. He noted that the WCPD has spent approximately 1500 minutes in school zones with 167 contacts with vehicles recently. “Sometimes people don’t see the officers enforcing the school zone. Part of that is because we intentionally do not make the traffic stop in the school zone because that adds to the confusion and things that are happening in the school zone.”

What can be done to increase driver awareness of crosswalks?

Some of the suggestions through the ThoughtExchange included increased signage, traffic lights, speed bumps and rumble strips. Loeffer shared that there are currently high visibility markings at the cross walks and the County is looking at adding yield lines ahead of the crosswalks. The engineer’s office has placed an order for edge-lit warning signs but the delivery can take up to 10 weeks. 

Loeffler shared that requests for in-pavement lighting that flashes have come in. However, maintenance is difficult, especially with Ohio’s winters, noting that Fairfield Township installed and then removed them. “Rumble strips do a great job alerting the driver, but they also never get turned off.” Loeffler explained that the sound of rumble strips can be an annoyance to businesses and residents. “The townships have to get 100% approval from the residents or businesses (before installing the rumble strips).” This is also a legislative requirement.

Speed humps, which are a gradual rise and decline in the road, and speed cushions, which leave a gap in the middle for emergency vehicles, were also suggested. “Those are reserved for 30 miles per hour and less on a residential roadway,” Loeffler explained. Speed bumps are for private parking lots and not allowed on public roadways.

Loeffler shared that they are evaluating an eight foot shoulder to be extended into what is called a “curb bump out” by Lakota West High School. This would make pedestrians more visible to drivers when approaching the crosswalk between the school and MidPointe Library. While refuge islands, which are found at roundabouts, are safe options, both Bethany and West Chester roads have left turn lanes, which present a challenge.

Other options that have been reviewed include a beacon, or HAWK, signal, which could create confusion for drivers or a traffic signal, which is not recommended for pedestrian safety. Both of these options can create a false sense of security for pedestrians. “(We’re) not ruling it out,” said Loeffler, referring to a traffic signal. “It’s something that would be a long-term (solution). Right now, if we made the decision that we’re going to put a traffic signal in, we’re two years out until it could be implemented.”

Loeffler also discussed the addition of roundabouts. While not possible on West Chester Road, it is a feasible solution on Bethany. “What the roundabout does, it forces drivers to slow down,” explained Loeffler. “Traffic signals do not force drivers to slow down,” he said, referencing drivers who run through red lights. “Of course, the issue with roundabouts is that they are expensive.” Loeffler said that the engineer’s office is looking into this as an option on Bethany Road at East Freshman but it would be several years away and must be locally funded.   

Are pedestrian bridges an option for Bethany and West Chester roads? 

Pedestrian bridges are an option but come at a high cost - approximately $2 million. “The issue with pedestrian bridges is how effective they will be and will they be used,” Loeffler explained. “The only way to get pedestrians to use it is to create a barrier along the roadway and the sidewalk to force…pedestrians to the ramps. It also has to be ADA accessible,” he continued. Loeffler noted that Princeton High School had a pedestrian bridge between the parking lot and the old high school but students avoided the bridge and crossed the street. 

Can school zones be extended to provide a longer lead to slow down before the crosswalks?

Loeffler explained that the Ohio Revised Code sets school zones. There is a maximum extension of 300 feet that must be approved by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). This was approved and extended in front of East Freshman over the summer.

Can sidewalks be added to walking neighborhoods around schools?

Passarge shared that with the growth of neighborhoods throughout Lakota over the years, the schools have utilized the State’s Safe Routes to School program to add walking trails and paths. “We focused on areas that already had existing infrastructure in the neighborhoods and connected our schools to that existing infrastructure.” Examples include Cherokee and Freedom elementary schools, Ridge Junior School and Heritage Early Childhood School. When this was done around 2011-2013, the Safe Routes to School program was limited to K-8 schools. Now, it has been expanded to K-12. Passarge said that the District will look into this.

Can speed limits near schools be lowered in general, not just during active school zone times?

Loeffler explained that ODOT sets speed limits. From there, the process to change a speed limit includes gathering data like speed studies and the number of accidents. The results are calculated to determine the recommended speed limit. If ODOT approves a change, it then goes to township trustees for approval. This process was recently completed for both Bethany and West Chester roads. The recommended speed limit for Bethany is 40 miles per hour, which it is currently. West Chester Road has been approved to be lowered to 35 from 40.  

What are the barriers to students parking in the high school lots?

“There are very few barriers,” said Whitely. “We have enough parking spots in both of our high school lots for all of our student drivers. Additionally, there is no fee for parking spots. However, when a child does receive a parking tag, they do have to show a driver’s license and insurance card.” Whitely noted that the primary barrier is “the convenience piece,” noting that there is less congestion at MidPointe Library, even though students should not be parking there.

Can the high school traffic patterns at pick up and drop off be reviewed for improvement?

“We are constantly doing that,” said Whitely, noting that this doesn’t just include high school traffic patterns, but all schools. Recently, there have been conversations about the traffic patterns at Lakota West High School and follow up conversations with building administrators will be taking place. Whitely also noted that traffic will be kept in mind during work on the Master Facilities Plan.

How can we educate students about crosswalk safety, both as a walker and driver, regardless of the grade band?

With safety education, students in grades K-8 learn about pedestrian safety and participate in bus safety drills. Whitely shared that a public service announcement (PSA) video project around crosswalk safety is planned. “(It’s to) remind them of the partnership between pedestrians and those operating a vehicle,” said Whitely, noting that the video will be appropriate for students in grades K-12. “In society, we have a lot of distracted drivers and distracted pedestrians,” she continued. “Just making sure, when you’re a pedestrian or you’re behind a vehicle, you’re really educated on how to avoid those distractions and be smart pedestrians and smart drivers.” 

Passarge added that there is an educational component with the Safe Routes to School program. “They’ll give us money to do some PSAs and to do some signage and some other things to help educate students at all levels. We’ll try to tap into that as well as the infrastructure component.”

At Lakota West, the WCPD has been studying pedestrian and driver behavior to determine what can be done in the short and long term. “In addition to the physical things we’ve been talking about, the education piece becomes important,” said Hagaman. While he recognizes that pedestrians have the responsibility to look both ways before crossing and then the responsibility is on the driver, he believes that there is a need to teach students how to be a defensive pedestrian. This is similar to how students learn to drive defensively. “Students are very diligent about looking both ways after they activate the light and step into the street,” he explained. “But once they step into the street,  they make the assumption that cars are going to stop for them. (The students) have no legal obligation to continue to look, but in their own best interest, it’s safer for them to continue to look.” 

To recap, what has been done to this point?

• In July, Whitely and Passarge met with many of the panel members, as well as others, to discuss each Lakota school with regards to traffic safety. This included traffic patterns, signage, additional infrastructures that could be put into place and looking to the future.
• The East Freshman crosswalk has been extended and additional school zone signage has been added.
• The speed limit on West Chester Road by Lakota West High School will decrease to 35 miles per hour.
• Updated LED lighting has been added at the Lakota West crosswalk by MidPointe Library.
• School traffic patterns continue to be discussed, including Lakota West High School.
• A PSA video about crosswalk safety is being planned.
• Because there are two SROs at Lakota West High School, one is assisting at the crosswalk during arrival and dismissal.
• At East Freshman, the activity shuttle is now stopping at Edge Teen Center in addition to the main campus building.

Questions submitted by audience members were then answered.

Are there any plans to widen Bethany Road?

Minniear said that this is part of the long term plan for Liberty Township. However, the most recent traffic study does not require the widening of the road right now.

Have mumble strips been explored, as opposed to rumble strips? 

An audience member shared that mumble strips are significantly quieter than rumble strips and are used in California. Loeffler had not heard of this option but will look into it.

Is it possible to pay and educate crossing guards?

Whitely said that the District has talked a lot about crossing guards. It is a possibility to hire true crossing guards who are trained to walk into streets and stop traffic. They will continue to discuss this.

Passarge noted that the District hired two crossing guards as part of the Safe Routes to School program in 2010-2011. However, because of the short hours, they resigned quickly.

Have efforts been made to reach out to local home owners associations (HOAs) neighboring the schools? 

Passarge said that they haven’t spoken to many HOAs recently, but did during the Safe Routes to School work. He said that it is something that they can look into again.

With the PSA idea, are there thoughts on requiring student drivers at the high schools to attend safety meetings? 

Whitely said that this was a requirement for students in order to get their parking tag at a district she  previously worked in. In addition, there are other opportunities to reinforce safe driving when there might be more congestion in the parking lots or on the roads. She said that it is something the District could look into.

Why is there only one street light on West Chester Road? Are there plans to add more?

Loeffler said that this question needs to be answered by a representative from West Chester Township. Unfortunately, one was not able to attend the panel. Hagaman did note that since the crosswalk signage has changed to LED lighting, it is something the WCPD will request the Township review.

How do we make these areas safety-eligible by the State? 

Whitely said that we need to submit data for the Safe Routes to Schools program and this is something that the District will work on.

Have crossing lanterns been recommended? These are lights that the students would carry as they cross the street.

Loeffler said that this is the same principle as carrying a flag across the street to increase pedestrian visibility. While it hasn’t been discussed, he noted that it would be the pedestrian’s responsibility to pick up the lantern and carry it across the street. There is also a concern that the lanterns would be stolen.

How long will it take to build the roundabout at Bethany? 

Earlier, Loeffler shared that a roundabout at Bethany is a feasible option but did not say it was confirmed. If Bethany Road by East Freshman is chosen as a location, the funding would still need to be secured. If the project would move forward, roundabouts take approximately 10 weeks to build.

Why not use professional engineering services to evaluate the traffic patterns? 

Passarge confirmed that the District has contracted with outside agencies, architects and other services. Hagaman confirmed that the WCPD is also assisting with traffic pattern evaluations.

With any problem, someone needs to be responsible so who is taking responsibility?

“I would say we all are,” said Whitely. “It really is a community effort. Yes, we are interested in the safety of our school and our school district, but part of that is looking at what is feasible from an engineering, infrastructure perspective. Also from a police enforcement piece. It really is a joint effort on all our parts.”

Who controls traffic lights and the timing? 

The Butler County traffic engineer’s office controls the traffic lights and timing. Loeffler asked for his office to be alerted if one seems to be malfunctioning.

Has West Chester Township responded (to this discussion) beyond the police department?

Hagaman confirmed that the West Chester Township roads department has been involved in the conversations and meetings. The administration and trustees are looking to the police and roads department for their expertise and recommendations beyond the temporary solutions.

Can rumble strips be heard at the new Union Centre apartment complex and what is the noise range since Lakota West is mostly commercial?

Loeffler said they will look into mumble strips if they are quieter. The noise from rumble strips are more of an issue at night. Additionally, you must consider the classrooms that are along West Chester Road and student learning during the day.

Can the library entrance road be moved away from the Lakota West crosswalk?

Hagaman said the issue is the moat that surrounds the library and the large amount of demolition that would need to take place in order to move the library driveway.

What about the blind spot at the Bethany crosswalk caused by vehicles turning left from the East Freshman driveway?

Passarge and Whitely will review this.

Will you offer multiple shuttles from East Freshman to Edge Teen Center if students are running late?

Passarge said this will depend on available drivers and if there is a student need.

At Endeavor, there are two crossing areas. Can we have one designated crosswalk near the building entrance instead of two?

Passarge said they could look at that.

Can we get a roundabout at Lakota Drive West? 

Loeffler said it would be very close to the existing roundabout and suggested that a left turn lane may be a less expensive option. Hagaman added that they are looking at the traffic patterns and how to introduce more right turns out of the parking lot at dismissal.

Whitely also noted that a staggered release has also been discussed at the high school to help some of that traffic, but nothing has been decided. It is an example of the many ideas that have been discussed.

In closing, Whitely thanked everyone for coming, for participating and for submitting questions ahead of time. “The safety of our children is all of our responsibility,” she said. “We take that partnership very, very seriously and we are continuing to brainstorm and partner together on all the feasible options, whether they are short term or long term. It truly is a partnership to make sure we are continuing to progress and grow, not only in education and in our community, but also in traffic safety patterns.”