The recent accident in which a north shore sixth grader was struck by a car and the installation of speed cameras on Glen Cove Avenue near the High School and Middle School has re-focused the attention of school officials, local politicians and the community on the issue of pedestrian safety and traffic congestion in front of the two schools. The matter came up at the September school board meeting and presented a good photo op a few days later when local, county, and school officials pow-wowed during two successive mornings at the intersection of Kissam Lane and Glen Cove Avenue. The proposals offered by officials are no doubt appropriate and reasonable - a crossing guard, a crosswalk, and a sidewalk on the east-side of Glen Cove Avenue from four corners to the high school, as well as a traffic light at Kissam that would at least be fully operational for perhaps two hours a day - around student dismissal and arrival time. Hopefully the county comes to similar conclusions after it completes its second traffic study of the intersection in only the past few years (the conclusion after the first was that remediation of the intersection was unwarranted).
They would do little to alleviate congestion however, which does to a degree exacerbate the pedestrian safety problem as cars dart out of side streets to take advantage of a wider than usual gap between cars backed up on Glen Cove Avenue or an impatient driver guns it to be the last car through the traffic light.
At the school board meeting a couple of weeks ago, Superintendent Dr. Edward Melnick encouraged the community to share their ideas as to how pedestrian and traffic safety could be improved. One resident suggested a longer right turn lane into the high school so that cars making a left into the middle school would be less likely to back up cars going into the high school. It's a great idea that ought to be considered by the county. Another resident stated that perhaps a way could be found to increase bus ridership. Again another idea worth considering, but perhaps one that was misunderstood as the Superintendent explained that a universal busing referendum was soundly defeated years ago, and a trustee added that early and late busing was looked into but would be too costly. No one is proposing universal busing, although it would go along way to solving traffic problems, and as for the early and late busing - that would do absolutely nothing to alleviate traffic during the times when traffic is at its worst.
There is a busing approach, however that would alleviate congestion and not cost taxpayers a dime. That would be to change the current transportation distance requirements so that seventh and eighth graders would have to meet the same busing eligibility guidelines as kindergarten through six graders, as opposed to meeting those for high school students. As it stands now, all students in Kindergarten through 6th grade who live more than three-quarters of a mile from their school are entitled to bus transportation, whereas for 7th through 12th grade, the requirement is extended to 1.5 miles. The distinction made perfect sense when the elementary schools housed grades k-6 and the then Junior High - grades 7 and 8. However, with the district's reconfiguration to a 6-8 Middle School, the rule has become an absurdity. Anyone who resides anywhere from three-quarters to one and a half miles from the Middle School and has two children attending that school recognizes this. This parent leaves home every morning with his eighth grade daughter, passing his 6th grader along the way as he passes the bus stop (she prefers to ride with her friends rather than her father and sister), and then after dropping his daughter off at cross street, doubles back to Downing Avenue to get down to Shore Road,
They would do little to alleviate congestion however, which does to a degree exacerbate the pedestrian safety problem as cars dart out of side streets to take advantage of a wider than usual gap between cars backed up on Glen Cove Avenue or an impatient driver guns it to be the last car through the traffic light.
At the school board meeting a couple of weeks ago, Superintendent Dr. Edward Melnick encouraged the community to share their ideas as to how pedestrian and traffic safety could be improved. One resident suggested a longer right turn lane into the high school so that cars making a left into the middle school would be less likely to back up cars going into the high school. It's a great idea that ought to be considered by the county. Another resident stated that perhaps a way could be found to increase bus ridership. Again another idea worth considering, but perhaps one that was misunderstood as the Superintendent explained that a universal busing referendum was soundly defeated years ago, and a trustee added that early and late busing was looked into but would be too costly. No one is proposing universal busing, although it would go along way to solving traffic problems, and as for the early and late busing - that would do absolutely nothing to alleviate traffic during the times when traffic is at its worst.
There is a busing approach, however that would alleviate congestion and not cost taxpayers a dime. That would be to change the current transportation distance requirements so that seventh and eighth graders would have to meet the same busing eligibility guidelines as kindergarten through six graders, as opposed to meeting those for high school students. As it stands now, all students in Kindergarten through 6th grade who live more than three-quarters of a mile from their school are entitled to bus transportation, whereas for 7th through 12th grade, the requirement is extended to 1.5 miles. The distinction made perfect sense when the elementary schools housed grades k-6 and the then Junior High - grades 7 and 8. However, with the district's reconfiguration to a 6-8 Middle School, the rule has become an absurdity. Anyone who resides anywhere from three-quarters to one and a half miles from the Middle School and has two children attending that school recognizes this. This parent leaves home every morning with his eighth grade daughter, passing his 6th grader along the way as he passes the bus stop (she prefers to ride with her friends rather than her father and sister), and then after dropping his daughter off at cross street, doubles back to Downing Avenue to get down to Shore Road,
