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.

Are stop signs needed? The usual 20 mph signs and crosswalks work on B Street. I would think that would work elsewhere.

I added observations about similarities at Robert Gray School as an afterthought and contrast. Given its location right on heavily-travelled B Street, perhaps little more can or should be done at Robert Gray.

But, note that B Street is substantially wider than Cushing, B Street has paved shoulder/parking areas to the side of the travelled lane, and B Street has good sidewalks on both sides of the street near the school. The Stevens kids get to either weave among the haphazardly parked cars and wade through deep puddles, or walk in the narrow street. Most kids walk in the street. Not a good situation.

I worked at a school where a first grade student saw his dad and ran across the street. He was hit by a car and died in the principal's arms with his father looking on in horror. Everything changed at that school regarding pick-ups and drop-offs. Nothing was too much.

Oh.My! Horrific. It should never have to come to something like that to put proper safety precautions in place.

I have picked up grandchildren at this school. There is a big parking lot alongside the skateboard park in front of the school. We all parked there and waited. Picking kids up was never a problem but, as mentioned, kids walking to school have no sidewalks and I have seen some walking on the side of the roadway itself.

Until I read this thread I never thought much about the situation. Going down Cushing Street there is one side with nothing but ballfields. Seldom are there cars there and visibility is great, no invisible places between cars to suddenly dash out of between.

Many years ago I hit a child with my car on First Street in the area behind the old YMCA. There was an old bus parked, no visibility of the sidewalk. From the space in front of the bus a grade school aged kid, I am guessing fourth grade, suddenly flew out straight into my the path of my car. One second, no one around and the next a flying bundle of child full speed infront of me. I braked and swerved hard towards the center of the road. I still bumped him but that was all. He was unhurt but had I been older and my reactions slower it would have been worse.

I insisted he tell me where his house was. He did not want to because he knew he was going to get into trouble. I told the mother and the kid was right. He was in trouble but he was unhurt.

This could have been so much worse and I never drive by that area of road and don't think about it. If there are cars parked, especially big cars and things like a bus, there is a chance of a kid or dog appearing from nowhere in your path.

On Cushing that is unlikely. I think most of us slow down if there are children in the area. For the rest we need some crosswalks and 20 mph signs and flashing lights at the least. I cannot believe I never even noticed the absence of them there.

I think the reverse is true. I live in this area and have a school bus stop across from my house. Once in awhile you will see someone driving slow by the kids but, for the most part they are treated like moving obstacles. I think you are thinking like an older person.

Bernie.

That hurt. How about thinking like a smarter person? Less sting there.

Yeah, I like that. I hate reminders that I am old before my time.

I'm glad the kid was ok, but the hair goes up on the back of my neck for you. Had the worst happened, through no fault of your own, you'd be a different person because of the weight of the unnecessary guilt.

I'm far from perfect and I know all of my children and siblings and other relatives I've taught drive are not perfect either. But, as my father taught me, a gun is always treated as loaded, and electric wires are always treated as hot, I taught that from behind any parked car or obstruction, a child could come and someday will come. And to be prepared for it.

There's a corner on Beacon Hill Drive and Lil' Stash was taking me down the hill one day. I asked him before he got to the corner, "Do you know why there is no sign with the 'suggested speed' going around this corner?"

"No," was the obvious response.

"Because the only safe speed is zero. Remember that on wet or icy days. This corner isn't safe in dry conditions."

So far he hasn't ended up across the many-time-replaced barracade, yet.

Good advice. Always prepare for Murphy's Law. That's really the point of it.

My deepest and most heart felt apologies for my very incensitive drive by posting.

I actually think you are a very smart and a reasonable man in an old school way.

Bernie.

With retirement just a hop and skip away I can no longer claim to be anything but old but, damn, I did enjoy the trip getting here. Between the retiring and pushing up daisies I am not going to slow down EXCEPT if there are kids walking on the side of the road.

Cushing Street is the way to go between South Aberdeen and Cosmopolis. It is no simple side street. Here is hoping that someone straightens out the signing issue.

Myself I'm about three hops and a skip away and looking forward to that day. I read somewheres that when you think your getting old just remember the ones you knew that didn't make it as far as you have.

I trust you when you say you will slow down for the kids but we will have to verify.

Bernie.

Wanted to let you know hadn't forgot about this. The chair of public works has this and is working with them to alleviate the sign issue. Additionally, she and I were discussing ideas on further improvements though even if successful those will take much, much more time.

No worries, didn't think you had forgotten. Knew it would take some time as committees meet on specific days.
I really can't thank you enough for getting the message to the right people. Will pass your message to Mrs. Werner
thanks again!!

An update:

The wheels of city government are turning more slowly than is acceptable to me and a few others. This subject is still being addressed and I've asked that a fire be lit under those that can get this done. In my opinion the area on Cushing should be a school zone so I'm trying to push that too. Figured its been a while and wanted to make sure you knew this had not been forgotten.

I didn't think you'd forgotten, know how s l o w l y the wheels turn. But this should be a no brainer. I hate to say this but if a child is hit by a vehicle, whose fault would it be for the lack of signage? I've looked in the RCW's for school sign placing and can't find it. (Gotta be a legislative member to know where to look lol). I would think there is a RCW somewhere and that Chushing St is in violation of it. Like I said orginally - in the 70's when the street was widened a school zone sign was removed from the street. It had been placed near the entry to the caretakers home in the park.

For sign placement standards one must consult the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)" which may be found here..