Without further ado, your Idiotville feel-good story of the week:
Whether you live in town or just drive through, you’ve probably noticed the occasional car ripping through a school zone during active hours with no regard for anyone’s safety. If your kid walks to an Erie school it’s never far from your mind, and while no one can eliminate bad drivers completely, Erie is doing what it can to help.
They’ll be installing flashing school zone signs at a bunch of Erie schools this summer, so they’ll be operational for next school year. Here’s where they are going:
- Mother Theresa Academy, on W. 11th between Peach and Sassafras
- Luther Memorial Academy, on W. 11th between Sassafras and Myrtle
- East Middle School, whole block within Atkins, E. 8th, Pennsylvania, Brandes
- Strong Vincent Middle School, on W. 8th between Washington and Weschler
- Harding Elementary School, on W. 8th and Lincoln
- Collegiate Academy, between State and French by Veteran’s Stadium
- Wilson Middle School, between E. 26th and E. 28th, Reed to Monroe
- Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary School, on E. 12th between Holland and German
- McKinley Elementary School, on E. 22nd between Perry and East
Hopefully, the flashing signs will draw extra attention for any distracted or half-asleep drivers. Even for those paying attention, reading the hours on a sign can be tricky with the sun in your face. Even more so when you’re traveling outside of your normal route and aren’t sure of your surroundings.
If there is any drawback to this, it’s the potential effect to those remaining schools that won’t have the flashing signs. As more and more schools get the flashers, drivers might increasingly rely on them instead of looking for traditional signs to read.
Still, it’s a step in the right direction to make our communities that much safer. We’ve had a few accidents in recent years with school kids being hit while crossing the street after getting off the bus, and while these flashing signs wouldn’t help that specific situation, there’s no reason to sit back and react only after another type of disaster strikes.
Good for PennDOT for administering these safe school grants, and good for Erie for taking advantage. If this is what our tax dollars are paying for, deal me in.
Idiotville 