Parents want city to put in school zone

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Parents at the Harmony School of Excellence in South Austin want the city to put in a school zone around the school so drivers will slow down during pick up and drop off times.

"There's a lot of truck traffic and that's a big concern because it's hard for these trucks to see the kids," said parent Suzanne Burris.

The school is located at the intersection of Woodward and St. Elmo and is surrounding by an industrial office park, which means when students are being dropped off in the mornings, drivers are rushing to get to work.

"They are going too fast," said PTO President Frances Winkler. "We do everything we can. Our faculty comes out and stops the traffic so that the kids can cross."

The once small charter school has grown to 720 students and parents have been asking the city to create a school zone to slow traffic from 35 mph to 20 mph for two years. But after evaluating traffic around the school twice in the last two years, the city transportation department determined a school zone was not needed.

"What we're seeing at Harmony is a school population that is being driven to school and driven from school or crossing at a traffic signal which is the safest way to cross the street- the light turns red- the cars stop- so in effect it's like the speed limit being zero," said Gary Schatz, Assistant Director of the Austin Transportation Department. "Every school is a little bit different- where you have schools that a lot of children are walking, then you're going to see school zones."

But parents say children have almost been hit even in the crosswalk by drivers trying to turn right at the red light.

"Having the flashing lights the formal signs that say school zone, marking everything would be a little safer for the kids and maybe have everyone slow down and pay attention," said Winkler.

Without a formal school zone, drivers are also not required to stay off their cell phones, as KXAN cameras captured Thursday.

City officials have put up signs notifying drivers there is a school in the area and they trimmed brush to make it easier for drivers to see children.

School zones are not automatic for any school. The transportation department always performs a traffic study before installing a school zone.