I read the article in the paper detailing the extension of Faragut Street to Schley. This is something that should have happened years ago, but of course didn't. It seems that the kids that attend school in S AB aren't as important as those at other schools in the districe.
The bitch I have is that Stevens is the ONLY school in the district that does not have school signs posted on all streets surrounding the school. The only signs that alert drivers to the school are on the Blvd.
Cushing is a main street for those going to the college, mall, prison, shipyard in Westport and is well traveled with speeding cars.
From the Blvd to Dewey (the rear entrance to the school) there are no sidewalks or painted crosswalks for kids that go that way. At one point there were 4 signs alerting traffice to the painted crosswalk on Lawrence St at the ballpark. And that walk is in use for about 4/5 months of the year. Look at the amount of signs at the high school. Hell, A Young had a revolving yellow light for Scammel Street.
What is it going to take for Stevens to get the signs?
Will a student have to be hit by car?
Does anyone care?

About 10-15 years ago, during my tenure on the city council, I proposed an ordinance change that would require 4 way stops on all intersections within a block of all Aberdeen schools. While public works argued that this would not necessarily stop the speeding,everyone agreed it should at least make the closest intersections safer as cars would be stopping. When the ordinance came back, it must have left off a couple of the intersections on Cushing, as there certainly are no stop signs there. I did not realize the oversight (which I have to assume was someone's intentional behind the scenes change) until this post. Maybe our current and future councilmembers who post here can get that corrected, along with better signage.

I contacted our city council a few times and spoke to the chief of police in one of his first community meetings about this. The chief told me he would bring it to the public safety comm. and a sign would be in place soon. Well that was shortly after he was hired.
I did this when my kids where going there, oldest graduated from AHS in 99 and now my grandkids are going there.
I have even written a letter to the School Board.
What else could I have done to bring this to the attention of those in charge, short of shoving it in their face?

You will need either a fair amount of public support (perhaps a petition signed by Stevens parents and staff) and/or a sponsor inside city hall. A lone voice raising the hew and cry will be ignored.

Call a council member or three. Send them all letters. Go down to ameeting and present the problem and solution.

At least one current city council member posts here, as well as one candidate, and, I'm certain at least a half dozen other influential city employees, including several police officers that have only been lurking as of late.

And, when you do get anyone to listen, point out that perhaps Cushing is classified as an arterial street, and city code requires sidewalks on arterials. Or, at least, it used to.

I have been chair of the public safety committee for two years and have never heard this issue. If the issue was brought up to the committee before that then it never made it to the full council. But now that I know I will look into what is going on.

Now that I think about this for ten seconds, perhaps stop signs should be considered in front of the new (6 years?) Robert Gray School as well. On B Street. At least they have adequate signage there.

Thank you for the good suggestions Strider, I will consider them. But for some it's hard to get out of the comfort zone.
And to MWMl thank you for looking into this. I talked to 3 different councilpersons about it and each said they would look into it, but it was before your time. The last letters I wrote was to a school board member and to the DW. The DW didn't print it.
And like I said earlier when I told the Chief about it, it was right after he was hired and at the community meeting he held at Stevens. I know the assistant with him that night wrote it down along with the other suggestions/complaints.
After awhile one gets to feeling no one cares, so you stop trying.
All I ask is that signs are put up on Cushing (and now on Schley since it's going to be connected to Faragut). It would be great if crosswalks could be painted at Cushing/Faragut, Cushing/Dewey, Cushing/Tilden. And even greater if sidewalks could be installed. But knowing the budget problems all cities are facing sidewalks may not be possible at this time.
thanks again

I'm actually surprised about this. I especially surprised that the school staff/school board haven't pestered the city council about this issue. It shouldn't take a parent. Child safety is part of the school's job.

Anyway, hope something comes of it. Kudos to MWMI. Please keep us updated.

I will be watching what happens with this, and make sure that it gets addressed. Follow up will be the key. I've seen issues come up, it was agreed that they would be addressed, and then promptly forgotten. Coming in and addressing the entire council will make a difference in awareness. Overall, we need to address speed and safety issues throughout our city, especially through some of the neighborhoods, and near some of the schools.

It's really only a matter of prioritization. As far as I'm aware, sidewalks on Cushing and near Stevens school have never been on any priority list. I hope sidewalks are part of the plan for that new connector street that is going in.