Lakota schools are considering implementing traffic safety measures after students were hit by cars

WEST CHESTER, Ohio — In the wake of a series of traffic accidents involving students driving to and from school, including one that killed a Lakota East Freshman, school district officials joined other local officials to answer pressing questions from the public.

A group of family members of recent victims sat in the front row, hoping for their loved ones to be the center of attention.

Christina Alcorn came to the meeting to represent her son, Aspen Runnels, who was hit and killed in May.

“I don’t want any part of my community to ever sit in the room that I sat in for 10 days while we waited for Aspen to know whether he would live or die, what his life would be like, and no one should have to sit in a room like that ” Alcorn said.

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Trisha Parnell’s daughter was hit by a car near Lakota West High in 2018 and joined Alcorn in the front row. She said the discussion was productive but felt like it took place after too much damage had already been done.

“It seemed positive, but it seems slow,” Parnell said.

Lakota Superintendent Dr. Ashley Whitely opened the meeting by providing an update on several things that have been done since she took office in July.

Whitely said they have already extended the crosswalk at Lakota East and conducted a traffic study to reduce speeds outside the campus where Runnels was killed. As for Lakota West, the superintendent said lights have been installed around the campus to improve the visibility of warning signs and he has considered more than a half-dozen proposals to improve safety in the area.

Seth Hagaman of the West Chester Police Department answered questions from the crowd about the possibility of using school resource officers to direct traffic and monitor crossings and stated that it was not a feasible traffic control solution.

Hagaman said officers have responsibilities at the school that they must attend to during these periods.

County traffic engineer Matt Loeffler discussed a long list of potential infrastructure upgrades near schools and whether they would be justified by solutions that help keep children safe.

Loeffler said they already plan to add traffic lanes in front of existing crosswalks. The engineer’s office proposed in-sidewalk lighting, but Loeffler called it a “maintenance nightmare” that wouldn’t be a wise addition.

Release proposals or additions to release pads were a popular proposition with the public, but Loeffler effectively killed this option.

By law, he said, speed bumps or cushions are not allowed on roads with a speed limit above 30 mph, and all relevant streets exceed the speed limit.

As for lowering speed limits, the engineer said that is the responsibility of ODOT, which legally sets speed limits based on recommendations from traffic surveys.

Loeffler said he conducted several such studies and the only speed limit that qualified for a reduction from 40 to 35 mph was on the section of West Chester Road between Eagle View Drive and Beckett Road.

He assessed the possibility of building roundabouts and pedestrian bridges in some areas depending on where they would fit, but this was not necessarily wise as both options were expensive.

Rumble Strips, grooved pavement that makes a loud noise to warn drivers, occupied a significant portion of Loeffler’s time as he tried to explain why they weren’t a likely solution for roads like Bethany Road near Lakota East Freshman.

“They can be quite disruptive to residents or businesses nearby,” he said.

Loeffler said city officials would have to get consent from everyone who lives or works nearby before they can install the lanes.

Officer Hagaman noted the complex nature of many of the proposals.

“As you can see, different problems arise in different disciplines and there doesn’t seem to be a single solution,” Hagaman said. “If it were, I think we would do it.”

Both Alcorn and Parnell said they hoped the joint meeting would lead to significant change in the school district, but they weren’t waiting for the district to figure things out.

They circulated a petition to pass an Aspen law that would make it a crime to hit someone in a school zone and double the penalties for traffic violations, similar to those in construction zones.

Parnell plans to increase efforts to pass the bill during the upcoming legislative session.